World Sports

Volkswagen buys 19.9% of Suzuki’s shares

2009-12-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and Suzuki Motor Corporation have reached a common understanding to establish a close long-term strategic partnership. A framework agreement has been signed by representatives of both companies today.

In terms of global presence and product diversity, the partnership marks an important step towards the future for both Volkswagen and Suzuki. In terms of product portfolio, global distribution and manufacturing capacities, Volkswagen and Suzuki ideally complement each other. The companies plan a joint approach to the growing worldwide demand for more environmentally friendly vehicles. The management of Volkswagen and Suzuki have concluded that the complementary strengths of each company make for a perfect fit in exploiting their respective advantages as well as rising to the challenge of the global market.

In the automotive industry, where globalization and diversification proceed in parallel, both companies will establish a cooperative relationship while respecting each other’s independence as a stand-alone entity. Both parties are focused on achieving synergies in the areas of rapidly growing emerging markets as well as in the development and manufacturing of innovative and environmentally friendly compact cars.

To support a smooth development of this relationship, Volkswagen will purchase 19.9% of Suzuki’s issued shares. The Closing of the transaction is subject to approval of the relevant authorities and is expected in January 2010. Suzuki intends to invest up to one half of the amount received from Volkswagen into shares of Volkswagen. Both companies will form a long-term strategic partnership based on this which will support their successful strategies in these challenging times.

As demand continues to rise for smaller cars and for powertrains with higher fuel efficiency and lower CO2 output, Volkswagen and Suzuki will offer a compelling solution for customers in emerging markets buying a car for the first time and also for customers in advanced economies seeking to lower their CO2 footprint while still enjoying the freedom of transport offered by an exciting range of cars.

Alfa 8C Spider: Most beautiful car of the year

2009-12-20T10:55:00.001-08:00

Just in case there was ever any doubt, Alfa Romeo’s stunning Alfa 8C Spider supercar has been officially named as the Most Beautiful Car of the Year by Top Gear magazine.

Judged by a Top Gear panel consisting of TV, magazine and online teams – spanning 24 international editions - the awards recognise the most innovative and exciting cars to be launched over the past 12 months.

Described as ‘perfection’ by Top Gear, the 8C Spider’s good looks are more than skin deep. A responsive 4.7litre V8 engine produces an awesome 450BHP which is channelled through a sophisticated 6-speed F1-style paddle shift gearbox to the rear wheels, producing enough power to launch its occupants from 0-62mph in just 4.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 181mph.

UK Brand Communications Manager, Damien Dally, said: “There’s no doubt that the 8C Spider is a sensational supercar but to have the recognition of the Top Gear panel is a perfect way to end the year.”

Limited to a production run of just 500 examples, 35 Alfa 8C Spiders are destined for the UK, with most of them sold before you could say “bellissima”. Valued at around £174,000 the chance of owning an example remains ultra exclusive, however the latest models in Alfa Romeo’s line up have taken inspiration from the Alfa 8C Competizione and Spider – such as the sporty compact Alfa MiTo and 2010’s Alfa Giulietta.

Acoustic engineering creates Formula 1-inspired soundtrack for Lexus LFA

2009-12-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

Not only does the Lexus LFA deliver thoroughbred supercar performance, the sound it makes is every bit as thrilling. The acoustic performance of the V10 engine and exhaust system has been fine-tuned to create a unmistakeable “soundtrack” that rises from a rumbling note at idle to a nape-tingling red-line wail.

The acoustic team studied the noise made by a Formula 1 car at maximum revs, then applied detailed design features to create an exhaust note for the LFA that is unlike any other car on the road, enhancing the sensation of speed and acceleration.

The main silencer is made of titanium and has a valve-actuated, dual-stage structure that channels the exhaust flow according to engine speed. Up to 3,000rpm, the exhaust valve stays closed, routing the flow through multiple chambers, creating an unobtrusive note. Above 3,000rpm the valve opens, allowing the exhaust to bypass these chambers and flow into a single resonance chamber, before exiting through the stacked trio of tailpipes.

The V10’s induction system was also modified to complement the engine’s acoustic qualities. The uniquely formed horizontally split resin surge tank – a unique design – mimics the acoustic chamber of wind and string instruments: up to 4,000rpm it emits the engine’s primary firing frequency of 300Hz; this changes to 400 to 500Hz as the engine revs climb to 6,000rpm; and a peak is reached at 600Hz as the engine wails towards its 9,000rpm red line.

The air intake is made from a porous duct material to generate bass to mid-range tones. The LFA development team called this acoustic effect Resonated Complex Harmony.

The engine’s induction and exhaust soundtrack are channelled into the LFA’s cabin, so people on board can enjoy the experience as much as those on the outside. The main sound channel that pipes in the engine’s induction notes runs from the surge tank into the cabin below the main dashboard panel.

Two further sound channels run to an opening in the upper cowl on top of the dashboard structure and a reflector panel low down at the front of the cabin. Together with the primary sound channel, these put the driver at the centre of the LFA team calls the 3D Surround Sound Concept.

Gordon Brown welcomes ministerial MINI E

2009-12-20T10:21:00.001-08:00

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, welcomed an all-electric, zero emissions MINI E to the Government car pool today in Downing Street. The MINI E will be tested by ministers wanting to try a fully-fledged electric car in an urban environment on their official business around London.The MINI E was presented to the government car pool by Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW Group (UK) Ltd, following the handover of 40 identical cars to pioneering drivers on Sunday to members of the public who will run the cars as part of an important scientific field trial. The cars will be tested for one year in total and will both help to shape the future of BMW Group electric vehicle development and to inform the wider world about the economic, behavioural and practical issues of living with an electric vehicle.

The Prime Minister was joined by Cabinet colleagues, including the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who has been an enthusiastic supporter of electric vehicle development through the Government’s Technology Strategy Board.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown: “I congratulate BMW and MINI for their ground-breaking electric MINI project and I welcome the extensive user field trial that has now begun.”

The Prime Minister added: “The low carbon transport industry will not only cut harmful emissions but has the potential to be a major source of jobs and growth. We have already committed £400 million of support to the sector, encouraging its development and take-up, and I am confident that in future years we will see thousands more electric and other low carbon cars on Britain’s roads."

Lord Mandelson said: “I am delighted that the MINI E is going to be put through its paces by Government ministers for two months. The Government is keen to show that driving electric vehicles is fun. I want the UK to be a world leader in low carbon transport and cars like the UK-built MINI can help us achieve that aim.”

The Prime Minister and Lord Mandelson were also able to meet one of the first MINI E test drivers, Oxford resident David Beesley, who collected his car from the MINI plant at Oxford on Sunday. “I have only had my MINI E for two days but it’s really fun to drive and it feels great to be reducing my carbon footprint,” he enthused.

Like the MINI E research projects in North America and Germany, the UK trial is a collaborative effort between the partners in a BMW Group UK-led consortium.

Scottish and Southern Electric will be responsible for the electricity infrastructure in the research area and is committed to supplying ‘green energy’ from sustainably generated sources to all drivers of the MINI E through an offsetting scheme.

Oxford Brookes University’s Sustainable Vehicle Engineering Centre will manage the collation of qualitative and quantitative research throughout the UK project. This will include analysis of driver experiences with the MINI E, as well as reviewing the technical information provided by the data-logging units fitted to every MINI E.
The consortium is strengthened by public sector organisations from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council. These organisations are working to develop high economic growth projects such as this.
Additional funding is provided by the Technology Strategy Board as part of a UK-wide programme involving trials of 340 ultra-low carbon vehicles from several manufacturers. This funding enables the monthly lease for MINI pioneers to be reduced from £550 to £330.

MINI Beachcomber Concept

2009-12-20T10:17:00.000-08:00

The MINI Beachcomber Concept is a four-seater concept car designed consistently for maximum driving pleasure, taking up the enhanced options of the new MINI and combining these potentials with the vision of a radically open body concept.

ALL4 all-wheel drive and the variable interior give the MINI Beachcomber Concept abilities absolutely ideal for a spontaneous and active experience of freedom and leisure time. The potential offered by the car’s modern drivetrain technology and space concept is used here to the greatest possible extent to ensure a highly emotional driving experience. Hence, the MINI Beachcomber Concept consistently does without doors, a conventional roof and all other body elements which might possibly limit the intensity of the occupants’ encounter with their surrounding world. This makes the driver and up to three passengers one harmonious entity communicating directly with their surroundings – whether cruising through town, enjoying rough tracks in the mountains, or breezing along the beach.

The MINI Beachcomber Concept combines all-wheel drive with cutting-edge suspension technology, numerous body elements serving to make the car extra-strong and robust, as well as an elevated seating position. Generous spring travel and extra-large light-alloy wheels raise the entire car to a higher level. Access to the front and rear seats is nevertheless exceptionally convenient and easy thanks to the omission of doors and the entry cutouts extending all the way down to the seat bottoms, allowing the driver and passengers to get in and out in one smooth and flowing process. A pleasant and interesting side effect is that the distance the occupants feel from their surroundings is reduced to a minimum.

The driver and passengers will also enjoy the driving pleasure created by this concept in everyday traffic under regular motoring conditions – simply because the MINI Beachcomber Concept retains its unmistakable character even when adverse weather conditions require use of the soft roof or the lightweight door and roof elements fitting on easily and conveniently within a few instants.

MINI entering new terrain – with a fourth model and a complete range of innovative ideas for the ongoing future.
The MINI Beachcomber Concept symbolises the elementary values of the brand in new, radical style – and at the same time the new model continues the current development of the MINI range in a particularly attractive manner.

Within just ten years after the re-launch of the brand, the fourth version of the MINI is now set to enter the market. As a unique crossover in the typical style of the brand, the new model offers a fascinating re-interpretation of that typical MINI design, with the functional convenience of four doors, four full-size seats, a variable interior, and a unique standard of driving pleasure now to be enjoyed for the first time also beyond the beaten track thanks to newly developed all-wheel drive.

The new production model now available from MINI goes far beyond the realms of urban mobility, inspiring the MINI designers to enhance that un-mistakable MINI feeling by adding further facets never seen before. Creating the MINI Beachcomber Concept, therefore, they are taking up the technical and concept qualities of the production model announced for autumn 2010, offering the ultimate expression of freedom in a car on this basis. The result is a new, incomparably open concept for a driving experience for all your senses, plus a degree of versatility greater than ever experienced before in discovering and enjoying new terrain.

The potential use and versatility of the MINI Beachcomber Concept is defined exclusively by the activities and preferences of its user. Clearly, the most authentic and natural surroundings for a car of this type are beaches where the MINI Beachcomber Concept, through its enhanced traction and radically open body, offers that unlimited freedom of movement it expresses from the start through its name alone.

The MINI Beachcomber Concept therefore allows the driver and passengers to actively live out their personal style, just like a kitesurfer, wakeboarder or triathlete is magically attracted to the hot spots of beach life the world over. Through its robust and versatile character, the MINI Beachcomber Concept furthermore follows in the footsteps of the Mini Moke, which, back in the 1960s, quickly became the epitome of adventurous motoring in your leisure time and in sports activities in sunny coastal regions

Volkswagen Passat named as Large Used Car of the Decade

2009-12-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

The fifth generation Passat, produced between 1996 and 2005, has been awarded the coveted title of Large Used Car of the Decade by the used car valuation specialists, CAP.

The ‘all-new’ Passat, revealed to the public at the 1996 Paris Motor Show, was hailed as a step forward in the upper medium class setting new benchmarks for quality, refinement, styling and performance. These improvements were recognised at the time with the Passat receiving a string of industry accolades including the prestigious European Car of the Year at the 1997 Auto 1 awards.

Mark Bulmer from CAP Black Book explained: ‘The Volkswagen Passat is a byword for quality, and the model launched in 1996 was a quantum leap forward in every area most important to the trade and the used car buyer. Volkswagen’s attention to detail meant that this Passat offered the sense of a prestige vehicle but at a mainstream purchase price. Legendary reliability means a deserved reputation as a dependable ‘workhorse’ and robust engineering and build quality means it is a safe bet even with mileage into six figures.’

Bulmer continued: ‘The new range of diesel engines offered a leap forward in terms of the balance between performance and economy, a combination at the very heart of success in the used car market. This quality set the 1996 – 2005 Passat apart from many other cars in its sector which could often prove prohibitively expensive to live with. By offering prestige quality at a mainstream price this Passat also influenced other manufacturers to up their game in terms of the quality of their own offerings.’

Commenting on the award, John French, National Used Car Manager for Volkswagen UK: ‘The Passat has always performed strongly and is well established on the used market with the strength of the brand image and residual values both ensuring high demand. I think it is a real credit to Volkswagen’s consistent focus on build quality and reliability that the previous generation Passat has performed so strongly and has been awarded this accolade.’

Now in its sixth generation, the Passat was originally launched back in 1973 and, over this 36 year period, has become one of the most successful models for Volkswagen. To date, more than 16 million Passats have been produced worldwide with over half a million being delivered to customers in the UK.

Škoda announces Superb Estate pricing (UK)

2009-12-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

Prices for the award-winning new Škoda Superb Estate have been announced. Prices start at just £17,715 OTR for the Superb Estate S with the 1.4 TSI 125bhp engine. With class-leading legroom and boot space, a long list of standard equipment and Škoda’s legendary great value, the Superb Estate sets a new standard for estate motoring.

The Superb Estate will be available in three trim levels, S, SE and Elegance. A choice of six engines will be offered, three petrol and three diesel, ranging from the entry-level 1.4 TSI 125bhp to the range-topping 3.6 V6 260bhp DSG 4x4.

The estate will carry a premium over the hatch of £1,050 for the S trim and £1,200 for SE and Elegance models. A complete price list is below.

The Superb Estate includes features that are unique over its sister hatch version. These include roof rails (black on the S; chrome on SE and Elegance); a removable LED torch; and load-bay illuminating lights built into the tailgate. SE and Elegance also feature a load partition and tethering system in the boot as standard.

New options available for Superb Estate include an electrically operated boot with an automatically retractable parcel shelf; electrically operated panoramic sunroof; KESSY keyless entry and start system and a variable boot floor that pulls out to protect the rear bumper. Option prices will follow shortly.

Superb Estate offers fantastic value with class-leading legroom, a cavernous boot space (1,865 litres seats down) and a long list of standard equipment. A complete list of standard equipment is below.

Škoda’s newest flagship model goes on sale 26 February 2010.

Audi A3 is ‘Executive Used Car of the Decade’

2009-12-20T10:07:00.000-08:00

Highly regarded vehicle valuation specialist CAP has named the Audi A3 ‘Executive Used Car of the Decade’ in its Used Car Awards, acknowledging the major contribution made by the pioneering three and five-door hatchback in distilling the premium sector values traditionally reserved for larger prestige cars and introducing them into the compact class.

CAP supplies residual value data to leading finance institutions, contract hire and leasing companies, vehicle retail groups and insurers. In its citation for the award, Mark Norman of CAP describes the A3 as a ‘true benchmark vehicle’ and a ‘genuine pioneer’ which ‘effectively invented the concept of the small car in prestige guise’. He went on to say that the 2003-2008 A3 ‘has brought the prospect of the highest engineering and build quality standards to those who would previously have ruled out choosing a prestige brand on the grounds that it would mean running a larger car than they needed.’ He summed up the rationale for the award by saying that the A3 is ‘never the cheapest used car purchase, but the benefits of low depreciation are certainly realised when trade-in time arrives.’

The latest generation Audi A3 is available in three-door, five-door Sportback and Cabriolet body styles with a choice of eight direct injection FSI and TDI engines, the diesel range containing the most economical and efficient unit in the premium sector in the new 1.6 TDI with combined fuel economy of 68.9mpg and CO2 output of just 109g/km. According to CAP, the A3 2.0 TDI retains 43 per cent of its value over 3 years or 60,000 miles (November 2009 figure), a higher proportion than any other comparable premium sector compact hatchback. Prices for the A3 line-up range from £15,770 OTR to £29,300 OTR.

SEAT and Shakira get together again

2009-12-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

SEAT and Shakira have signed a collaboration agreement which sees the sporty Spanish car manufacturer become the main sponsor of the international pop star’s forthcoming European tour.

This agreement will link the young, sporty image of the SEAT brand to the musical talent of Shakira, currently enjoying great success with her latest album She Wolf.
The Colombian-born singer will thus become a distinguished ambassador for SEAT throughout her European tour.

The deal will also see SEAT and Shakira support efforts towards universal education. The Spanish brand will enter into close collaboration with the Barefoot Foundation, created by Shakira when she was just 18, to help provide education for children living in extreme poverty.

This is not the first time that SEAT and Shakira have joined forces for a good cause. In 2007 the car manufacturer sponsored the ‘Oral Fixation’ European tour off the back of the singer’s Oral Fixation album, taking it to Oslo, Prague, London, Paris, Stockholm and Berlin, among other cities.

SEAT also spearheaded a charity campaign which brought in more than €100,000 for the Pies Descalzos (Barefoot) Foundation. For her part, Shakira autographed a purple SEAT Leon re-named the SEAT Leon Pies Descalzos. The car was presented at the 2007 Barcelona International Motor Show to the winner of a draw which included everyone who had made a €1 contribution to Shakira’s foundation.

Lincoln And Magic Johnson Challenge Aspiring Filmmakers To 'Define Lincoln Luxury'

2009-09-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Ford Motor Company's Lincoln luxury brand and NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson are calling for the best and brightest aspiring filmmakers to "Define Lincoln Luxury" -- and win a place in the driver's seat of the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr.

Lincoln is teaming with Film Life to present the American Black Film Festival for the seventh consecutive year. The annual event attracts a robust group of film aficionados for a five-day retreat of premieres, networking, panel discussions, hands-on workshops and competitive film showcases. Dedicated to strengthening the independent black filmmaking community, the American Black Film Festival will celebrate its 10th Anniversary this year.

Lincoln's sponsorship of this year's event introduces the "Define Lincoln Luxury" contest, with a Grand Prize of a 2-year lease on a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr or $10,000 in cash.

"We are proud of our long history with the American Black Film Festival and Film Life which reinforces our support of the independent filmmaking community as it reaches higher to bring its unique voice to a wider audience, says Tom Grill, Lincoln Brand Manager. "ABFF provides an outstanding platform to showcase the many innovative and original perspectives of the Black experience."

Aspiring filmmakers who enter the "Define Lincoln Luxury" contest must create an original commercial articulating their own interpretation of Lincoln luxury. The commercial should be 30 to 60 seconds in length and must feature at least one shot of a Lincoln vehicle. Judging will be based on originality and creativity, appropriateness of commercial to theme and overall appeal. Official rules, entry forms, and submission guidelines are available on http://www.lincolnlounge.com/, Lincoln's all-new urban lifestyle website.

A Grand Prize winner will be selected on July 5, 2006, by a panel of experts from the advertising and film communities. In addition to a two-year lease on the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr or $10,000 in cash, the Grand Prize winner also will receive a 5-day, 4-night trip for two to South Beach, Florida on July 20 - July 24, where the winning commercial will debut at the ABFF Filmmaker Award Brunch.

Lincoln and Magic Johnson

Lincoln and basketball legend and businessman Earvin "Magic" Johnson have enjoyed a meaningful and successful partnership since 2003. Magic and Lincoln have collaborated on television commercials, charity events (Midsummer Night's Magic) and other joint appearances (NBA All-Star Game, dealer events); most recently at the world debut of the brand new 2007 Lincoln Navigator and Navigator L at the Chicago Auto Show.

About ABFF

The American Black Film Festival is a five-day retreat and international film market dedicated to strengthening the independent black filmmaking community. Founded in 1997, it is recognized today as the premier Black film festival and is dedicated to linking key Hollywood decision makers and accomplished artists with emerging filmmakers in an effort to bring their work -- and a more positive depiction on film of African Americans -- to a broader audience.

Source: Lincoln Mecury

Lincoln MKR Concept debuts at NAIAS

2009-09-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Lincoln is pulling the wraps off a head-turning new concept car at the North American International Auto Show next week, signaling its design strategy for the next-generation of premium American vehicles and launching a new engine family. The Lincoln MKR concept introduces a new design language of “elegant simplicity” on a four-door coupe that also features environmentally friendly amenities and fuel-saving technology, including its TwinForce™ engine. The concept’s 3.5-liter gasoline twin-turbocharged direct-injection V-6 performs comparably or better than V-8 engines, delivering 415 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque on renewable E-85 ethanol.

A New Era of Lincoln Design

The new design – created by a team led by Peter Horbury, executive director, Design, The Americas – showcases the visual elements that will influence a new generation of Lincoln products.

“We’ve reinterpreted the best of Lincoln designs over time, preserving the restraint and elegance synonymous with the brand,” says Horbury. “The Lincoln MKR concept is sophisticated and modern, resembling an athlete – extremely strong and fit but looks elegant in a tuxedo.

“This romantic, sporting coupe should turn heads at the show. And, ultimately, this new design language will help lead us forward in the growing premium segment.”

The Lincoln MKR concept features seven key exterior cues, which define modern Lincoln design:

- Clean, uncluttered surfaces
- Powerful, dynamic beltline
- Chamfered surface running parallel to the beltline
- Distinctive Lincoln bow-wave, double-wing grille opening
- Thin, horizontal taillamps that run from one side to the other
- Significant C-pillar smoothly transitioning into the cantilevered roof, and
- Powerful cantrail/roofrail

Modern, ‘Guilt-free’ Luxury Touches

Inside, the Lincoln MKR concept defines a new direction for modern luxury, with ambient lighting and contrasting colors and materials that offer both a new look and philosophy for future Lincoln interiors.

“The concept’s interior builds on the success of earlier Lincolns but stretches the boundaries even further,” said Gordon Platto, chief designer of the Lincoln MKR concept. “This unique combination of materials gives the Lincoln MKR a rich interior but features the environmentally friendly amenities that luxury buyers expect in premium goods, including vehicles.”

A black oak instrument panel engineered from recycled wood stretches from side to side and carries through to a twin-level floating center console that extends into the rear of the cabin.

This expansive ‘T-shaped’ panel houses the passenger information display system seamlessly disguised by the flush touch screen control surfaces and a navigation screen that can be concealed by a powered door.

The instrument cluster provides a jewelry-like focal point. Chrome-trimmed gauges illuminated with Ice Blue lighting can be easily viewed in harmony with the concave spoke steering wheel that includes retractable paddle shifters.

“Lighting is an important design element,” Platto said. “We know customers are paying more attention to the lighting in their homes than ever before, and we wanted to leverage it to create even more ambiance and drama inside the concept.”

Ice Blue lighting is carried throughout the high-contrast interior, emitting from the door panels, mohair-carpeted foot wells, seats, center console and perhaps most dramatically from the large Lincoln star above which is easily viewed from each of the Lincoln MKR concept’s four seats.

Each soy-foam based seat stands alone, looking as if suspended in air, wrapped in a creamy cashmere leather made through a more environmentally friendly chromium-free process. Seatbacks are finished with high-gloss, ceramic-looking shells.

The concept also features the THX II Certified Car Audio System, Lincoln’s signature audio system, which produces sound quality comparable to home theater systems.

Innovative TwinForce™ Powertrain
Under the Lincoln MKR’s sculpted hood is the exquisitely detailed TwinForce engine, finished in chrome and accented in the cranberry red metallic paint that dresses the rest of the modern exterior.

This marks the birth of the new TwinForce engine family that will power production versions of a range of future Ford and Lincoln products.

TwinForce uses direct injection technology and turbocharging. These technologies are common in diesel engines but have only recently been combined together in gasoline engines.

The Lincoln MKR’s engine also is flex fuel capable, providing the driver with the flexibility to switch back and forth between gasoline and E-85 ethanol. Combining the high octane found in E-85 or premium gasoline with TwinForce technology allows the MKR’s V-6 to deliver 415 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque – an impressive 118 horsepower per liter.

To achieve this type of performance from a V-8 would require an engine displacement of 6.0-liter or larger, nearly double the size of the 3.5-liter in the Lincoln MKR. As a result of the smaller V-6, the Lincoln MKR concept delivers 15 percent better fuel economy than a V-8 with similar performance.

The concept’s engine is mated to a six-speed transmission, and the concept features independent rear suspension for more refined road manners.

The car sits on 21-inch chrome aluminum wheels fitted with unique Michelin tires that feature the Lincoln star in its treads.

“The Lincoln MKR concept is important because it marks a new era for the brand,” Horbury said. “This is a showcase of modern design that marries power, performance and, essentially, ‘guilt-free’ luxury.”

Lincoln MKR Concept Specifications
Powertrain3.5-liter V-6 TwinForce engine
Chassis lengths
Overall length .......................195.7 in.
Wheelbase .............................112.9 in.
Overall width ..........................75.4 in.
Overall height at curb ..............52.7 in.
Track width
Front .......................................63.7 in.
Rear ........................................63.8 in.
Brakes
Brembo power 4-wheel disc with ABS and traction control Suspension
Front ............ MacPherson Struts and rear-facing L-shaped lower control arm and stabilizer bar
Rear .............Independent Rear Suspension
Headroom
Front .......................................37.8 in.
Second Row ............................36.9 in.
Legroom
Front .......................................42.7 in.
Second Row ............................33.7 in.
Luggage capacity ..............13.0 cu. ft.

Source: Ford

Lincoln to Offer SIRIUS Satellite Radio as Standard Equipment

2009-09-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Ford Motor Company and SIRIUS Satellite Radio today announced that Lincoln will provide its customers standard factory-installed satellite radio on the Lincoln MKZ, Lincoln MKX, Lincoln Navigator, Lincoln Navigator L and Lincoln Mark LT beginning with the 2008 model year. Sirius Satellite Radio today is offered on 22 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Vehicles as a factory-installed option. It will be available on the 2008 Ford Focus later this year, bringing the total to 23. The Lincoln lineup will be the first to include the equipment as standard.

"Every day, SIRIUS Satellite Radio is becoming more popular with our Ford and Lincoln Mercury customers because it allows them to personalize their driving experience," said Cisco Codina, Ford group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales and Service. "Its growing popularity is part of a broader trend in the auto industry with customers increasingly asking us to pioneer technologies that put them in control of their driving environment."

Nearly 600,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles have already been shipped with factory installed SIRIUS satellite radios. Those numbers are expected to more than double in 2007.

We are excited about the growth and success of SIRIUS at Ford, and the positive response we've received from both dealers and customers," said Mel Karmazin, CEO, SIRIUS. "SIRIUS' programming continues to enhance the Ford driving experience and we are proud that the Lincoln brand regards us as an important addition to provide all their customers.

For 80 years, the Lincoln brand has been synonymous with luxury, comfort and design. Both news media and the industry at-large voted the 2007 Lincoln MKZ as "Best Premium-Priced Car Interior of the Year" at the 7th annual Automotive "Interior of the Year" awards conducted by Ward's AutoWorld magazine. Lincoln will continue to strengthen this position with SIRIUS as standard equipment.

Lincoln models with SIRIUS radios arrive at the dealership ready to operate with a six-month pre-paid subscription included. This allows the dealer to conduct an in-vehicle demonstration of the SIRIUS service so the customer can immediately begin enjoying their satellite radio service.

Source: SIRIUS Satellite Radio

Rough first day for U.S. at world championships

2009-09-22T03:20:00.000-07:00

HERNING, Denmark --- Zeke Jones walked into a room in the MesseCenter late Monday afternoon and plopped down in a chair.

"Tough day at the office," Jones said, shaking his head.

It was a frustrating day for the first-year U.S. National Freestyle Coach as the American squad failed to win a medal on the first day of the World Championships on Monday at the MesseCenter in Herning.

Americans Danny Felix (55 kg/121 lbs.) and Trent Paulson (66 kg/145.5 lbs.) suffered first-round matches while Jake Varner (96 kg/211.5) won two matches before falling in the quarterfinals. All seven members of the U.S. team are competing in the Worlds for the first time.

None of the wrestlers who beat the Americans advanced to the finals, eliminating all three U.S. wrestlers from their first World Championships.

"It was a tough day," Jones said. "Inexperience got to us today. All the matches we lost were all very winnable. I think experience caught up to us overall. Danny and Trent were in bouts with guys who have wrestled for Olympic medals. Those guys they wrestled have a lot of experience and it showed.

"Jake was very capable of winning a medal. He made a critical error by trying a foot sweep at the end of the first period. It was a game of inches. All of our guys were on the wrong side. Hopefully, this experience will get us on the right side of these matches."

Varner, the reigning NCAA champion at 197 pounds and a senior-to-be at Iowa State, beat Hungary's Daniel Ligeti in the first round before he downed Japan's Takao Isokawa in the second round.

Varner then ran into 2007 World silver medalist Saeid Abrahami of Iran in the quarterfinals. Varner dropped a 1-0, 1-0 decision. Abrahami then lost to Olympic and World champion Khadshimourad Gatsalov of Russia in the semifinals. That eliminated Varner, who finished ninth in the final standings.

"Against the Iranian, I went for a takedown late in the first period with a foot sweep, and I got caught off balance and he got the takedown," Varner said. "Second period, I gave up the one takedown and that was the match. This tournament was a great experience for me. I learned a lot and it was fun. I know I need to score more points."

Felix ran into Azerbaijan's Namig Sevdimov in the first round and fell in two straight periods to the fifth-place finisher from the 2008 Olympics.

"It's hard to grasp right now, it's disappointing," Felix said. "I'm not disappointed with my effort. I just made a mistake and it cost me the match. It's a tough situation to deal with right now."

Paulson had the lead late in the match before Kazakhstan's Leonid Spiridonov scored a pushout late in the match to prevail.

"It was pretty frustrating to have to sit there and watch, especially when you come here with a goal of winning this," said Paulson, an NCAA champion for Iowa State. "We had great training camps and our coaches did a great job of preparing us. They had us peaking at the right time. I know what to expect now and what wrestling in this atmosphere is like. It will help me for sure. I've always known I'm right there with the best guys. I just need to get it done next time."

Winning World titles on Monday were North Korea's Kyong-Il Yang at 55 kg, Iran's Mehdi Taghavi at 66 kg and Gatsalov at 96 kg. Gatsalov won the World Championships for the fourth straight time.

Day 2 of the seven-day tournament will see three more U.S. freestyle wrestlers take the mat. Shawn Bunch (60 kg/132 lbs.), Jake Herbert (84 kg/185 lbs.) and Tervel Dlagnev (120 kg/264.5 lbs.) are scheduled to wrestle on Tuesday.

U.S. FREESTYLE RESULTS FROM MONDAY'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
55 kg/121 lbs. - Danny Felix, Morgantown, W.Va.
LOSS Namig Sevdimov (Azerbaijan), 3-0, 1-1

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Trent Paulson, Ames, Iowa
LOSS Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan), 1-1, 3-0, 2-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Jake Varner, Bakersfield, Calif.
WIN Daniel Ligeti (Hungary), 1-2, 2-0, 1-0
WIN Takao Isokawa (Japan), 1-0, 1-0
LOSS Saeid Abrahami (Iran), 1-0, 1-0

2009-09-20T00:25:00.001-07:00

SIX WHEELER CAR

New Volvo C70 to be launched in Frankfurt

2009-09-17T03:33:00.001-07:00

At its launch in early 2006, the Volvo C70 broke new ground as the world's first four seater convertible with a retractable hard top. More than three years on, the new Volvo C70 coupe/convertible is set to break new ground with a refreshed design to give the car a new look, roof up or down. The new C70 retains the three-piece retractable roof, spacious seating for four adults and class-leading convertible safety standards as the outgoing model.
"We have carefully redesigned the front and rear of the car so they harmonise more with the larger Volvo models. We have also increased the exclusiveness of the interior materials and trim details to enhance the feeling of luxury," explains Fedde Talsma, Exterior Chief Designer of Volvo Cars.

New front view
The front of the new C70 takes inspiration from the S60 Concept that was unveiled in early 2009, thereby making the C70 more closely aligned with the design language of the larger cars in the Volvo range.

The refresh extends beyond plastic components as the front wings have been redesigned to give the nose a more distinct wedge-shape. There are new headlamps which now have a more pronounced upward orientation, whilst more detail has been added around the fog lamps and the lower grille.

From the front, the bonnet and grille form an open, inviting "V" shape, whilst the enlarged iron mark and the new, larger air intakes reinforce a strong on-the-road stance.

To offer even more road presence a dramatic Flamenco Red Pearl colour has been introduced.

New rear design
The rear of the car continues the front's new bold design. High-tech LED lamps, as found on the XC60, are the most noticeable addition to the rear and the entire lamp unit is now clearly integrated with the oval that frames the new C70's rear panel.

Into the car
The interior has also been given a refresh to create a more comfortable and luxury feel. The instrument panel has been redesigned to give it a wider, sleeker look with improved finish. The surface of the panel has a new texture that enhances the quality feel.

To further enhance comfort levels, the seats have been upholstered in a new, softer hide offering all occupants a greater level of comfort.

Engine range
Advanced engine and exhaust filtration means Volvo's engines combine high performance with low environmental impact. The Volvo C70 is available with the following petrol and diesel engines. The preliminary fuel consumption and CO2 emission figures apply to models with a manual gearbox running in the combined driving cycle.

The new Volvo C70 in detail
The Volvo C70 transforms smoothly from a coupe into an open convertible in just 30 seconds. At the press of a button, the three-part steel roof folds quickly and silently away, disappearing neatly into the boot.

It has also been engineered as one of the safest convertibles on the market with regard to both preventative and protective safety. The car has an advanced body structure and several solutions that are unique to convertible cars and the lack of a fixed roof has been compensated by structural reinforcements.

Protection in roll-over accidents
The Volvo C70 features sturdy metal roll bars that extend up behind the rear seat passengers to create added protective space should the car roll over. These bars, which are part of Volvo's Rollover Protection System – ROPS – are activated by a gyro-sensor. Since the Volvo C70 has a glass rear window, the bars force through the glass if the roof is in place and so have been fitted with small hardened metal spikes that break the glass to guarantee protection.

Door-mounted inflatable curtain
One important part of the side-impact and rollover protection is the inflatable curtain, IC, which is installed in the doors as there is no roof rail to fit it to. The curtain has an extra-stiff design so the curtain can remain upright and help protect the head effectively even if the window is open. The curtain also deflates slowly, helping to provide added protection should the car roll over.

Side-impact airbags and safety belt pre-tensioners for all seats
In addition to the inflatable curtains on either side, the front seat occupants also have side-impact airbags. The size of these bags is dimensioned to protect both the chest and hips. The IC interacts with the belt pre-tensioners to offer the best possible protection for front seat occupants in the event of an accident. All four seats come with safety belt pre-tensioners.

Further pricing and specification details
Full details, including prices and specification, of the new Volvo C70, will be released closer to the on-sale date. First C70s are expected to be in showrooms and delivered to customers in early 2010.

Source: Volvo

Lexus GS 450h Review

2009-09-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

Hybrid engine technology that combines both fuel and electric power is typically used to improve a vehicle's fuel economy. However, there's no rule that it has to be used exclusively for that purpose, as a hybrid powertrain can also be utilized to provide enhanced performance. For an example, look no further than the Lexus GS 450h.

The first hybrid model introduced to the North American market that didn't have maximum fuel economy as a primary goal, the rear-wheel-drive GS 450h sport sedan delivers the power of a V8 with the fuel consumption of a V6. The GS 450h is also loaded with technology, including an adaptive suspension system and advanced electronic safety equipment. While the GS 450h may not slash through corners with the precision of a German-engineered sport sedan, it is able to boast being a one-of-a-kind performance hybrid.

Current Lexus GS 450h

The Lexus GS 450h is powered by a gas-electric hybrid system, which combines a 3.5-liter V6 engine with a high-output electric motor. Though Lexus typically names its vehicles after engine displacement, it felt that "450" was appropriate given that the hybrid's output is equivalent to a 4.5-liter V8.

The electric motor supplements the gas engine with low-end torque during starts and offers additional power under heavy acceleration, recharging itself under braking through a process called regenerative braking. Together, the hybrid system puts out a total of 340 horsepower. The only transmission is an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT), which comes with three modes: Normal, Snow and Sport.

When you buy the Lexus GS 450h, you're pretty much getting the top-of-the-line GS. The cabin is decked out with high-quality wood and leather trim. The seats are heated and cooled. Dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry and start, a power-adjustable steering wheel, a moonroof and a 10-speaker audio system with an in-dash CD changer are just some of the vehicle's extensive standard features.

Buyers will also want to consider some of the optional high-tech luxury features, including adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision safety system, a voice-activated DVD navigation system and a 330-watt Mark Levinson audio system with 14 speakers. Stability control, traction control, ABS, emergency brake assist and every airbag possible, including dual front knee bags and side curtain bags, come standard.

One surprise inside the cabin is the relatively limited amount of headroom. While it might be fine for most of the population, tall drivers may find things a little cramped inside. And due to the bulk of the electric motor's battery pack, there is noticeably less trunk space in the GS 450h than in regular GS series sedans.

In road tests, our editors found the Lexus GS 450h to be remarkably fast and powerful. Zero to 60 mph takes just 5.5 seconds. It runs in all-electric mode up to around 15 mph before the gas engine kicks in. And the transition is seamless -- you don't experience the sudden shudder found in earlier hybrid vehicles. A clever Adaptive Variable Suspension system allows the driver to select between normal and "sport" settings. In "sport" mode, the GS 450h corners well without noticeable body roll. An optional active stabilizer adds even more control to the sedan's already well-balanced handling characteristics.

Used Lexus GS 450h Models

The Lexus GS 450h debuted for the 2007 model year. There have been minimal changes since, though 2007 and '08 models have a smaller trunk (8 cubic feet) compared to the newer, 11-cubic-foot capacity introduced for '09.

All New Opel Corsa in Depth

2009-09-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

After its spectacular world premiere in London, the fourth generation of the popular Opel Corsa now takes to the road. With the newcomer, Opel remains true to its role as a trendsetter. Based on the successful example of the Astra and Astra GTC, the distinctively different coupé-like three-door and family-friendly five-door Corsa models are tailor-made for different types of customers. Since 1982, over 9.4 million units of the predecessor models have been sold in Europe. The new Corsa will again be produced in Zaragoza (Spain) and Eisenach (Germany). Both the three- and five-door versions will be available at dealerships in October 2006 and are expected to again reach top sales figures.
The new Corsa has everything it needs to get there: exciting design with sporty, athletic contours, a newly-developed chassis for safe and agile cornering, a new high-quality interior with plenty of space and feel-good ambiance, as well as high-tech features new to this class such as a heated steering wheel and curve light. The integrated carrier system “Flex-Fix” makes its world premiere on a production car, and the Corsa Sport newly-developed high-tech variable progressive power steering is new in the segment.

Its response is already very direct during straight-ahead driving and increases up to a steering-wheel angle of 90 degrees, which is reminiscent of a sports car's steering precision. The feedback curve enables the response ratio to increase again at greater steering-wheel angles, reducing the effort needed for maneuvering.

A Stunning Design to Fall in Love With

The three-door Corsa’s body is stretched tautly over its technology like a muscle shirt on a bodybuilder, with athletic contours, muscular shoulders and a coupé-like roof line. This look is emphasized by the side-window graphics reminiscent of the Astra GTC, forming a large, stretched arch from the A-pillar to the rear. Pronounced fenders over the rear wheels highlight the Corsa’s powerful, sporty stance. The three-door Corsa only shares the five-door’s front fenders, bumper, headlamps, hood and A-pillar.

In the family-friendly five-door model, the long roof line and generous window surfaces indicate additional headroom and visibility for the rear passengers. The side window line resembles that of the five-door Astra, but has a different C-pillar transition to the rear window that gives it its completely unique look.

While both body versions have the same length and height (3999 / 1488 mm), there is a small difference in their width (3-door: 1713 mm, 5-door: 1737 mm). Thanks to the long wheelbase (2511 mm) and wide track (front / rear: 1485 / 1478 mm), both Corsa versions have distinctively sporty proportions. The up to 17-inch wheels are placed at the body corners leaving a very short rear overhang. The designers successfully created a well-proportioned car while maintaining a compact base area. This is enhanced by the front overhang, which has a remarkably short appearance despite elaborate measures for pedestrian protection.

The stylish interior design with high-quality materials and clever new features creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. Turn buttons for climate control, radio and lighting are backlit. Piano-lacquer finish used in selected equipment variants on the center console with a matching finish on the steering wheel spokes and air-conditioning vent rings is of a much higher quality than normal in this class. Numerous large and small storage compartments offer plenty of space for stowing all kinds of items.

Distinctive cars for different buyers

Opel aims to return to the top of the small car segment, which is the second largest in Europe with over 20 percent of all passenger car sales. Customers can already look forward to highest-quality equipment lines that also convey driving fun with colors and exclusive finishes.

For instance, the Edition equipment: The fresh colors of the seat upholstery and door panels harmonize perfectly with the instrument panel’s colored surface in subtle grey, exciting red or elegant blue. Be it the entry-level Corsa, Edition, Sport or Cosmo, the Corsa range has the perfect combination for every taste and budget. The newcomer can be further individualized thanks to special equipment packages, innovative options and many features that customers can choose from according to their tastes and preferences.

Exclusive sportiness

The Corsa Sport holds a special position in the model range. For maximum agility, it boasts exclusive power steering with variable-progressive feedback curve for the first time. The sports chassis is lowered by 18 mm at the front and 15 mm at the rear, while the closer gear ratios add an extra burst of acceleration. In addition, the Corsa Sport interior features high-quality elements including a matte-chrome console and perforated
leather-trimmed steering wheel. Its exterior boasts details such as dark-tinted headlamps, 16-inch alloy wheels with 195/55 R 16 tires, and a chrome sports exhaust pipe.

Individual settings saved on car key
Be it modern or classical: whatever their musical tastes, the new Opel Corsa can easily memorize each driver’s favorite radio station. And that’s just one example of how the newcomer can be personalized. Up to five different drivers can save their individual settings for the infotainment system, electronic climate control, and on-board electronics and activate them via the car key. New comfort options also ensure that Corsa passengers feel right at home.

These include a power panorama sunroof that also lets in plenty of light when it is closed, and for the colder months a heated steering wheel - new in this class - as well as optional Quickheat, which warms the interior air stream via electric heating elements after a cold start until engine water circulation can warm the passenger compartment.

Opel again leads the way in flexible innovations

The Corsa is an all-rounder, be it for leisure, sport or family use, and is always a star performer. Thanks to its clever innovations, it can adapt to and meet the transport and comfort needs of its owners far better than most other vehicles. One of these innovations is the novel flexible integrated rear carrier system “Flex-Fix”. It stows away almost invisibly into the rear bumper, can easily be pulled out as needed and carry up to two bicycles. In typical Opel style – like the Zafira’s “Flex7” multivariable seating system – the integrated carrier system “Flex-Fix” also provides full on-board functionality, eliminating the need for cumbersome assembly, dismantling or storage of parts.

Other practical features include the height-adjustable “DualFloor” and luggage compartment cover which can be easily stowed away. The stable cargo floor can be set in two height positions, allowing horizontal partitioning of the luggage compartment as well as a flat load floor to the front seat backs when the rear seat backs are folded forward and load floor is in the higher position. The higher position also facilitates loading and unloading. Storage volume up to the luggage compartment cover, which can be stored vertically behind the rear seats, is 285 liters, and 300 liters to the top of the rear seat back. If the 60:40-split rear seat back is folded down, storage volume increases to 700 liters and to a considerable 1100 liters if the car is loaded to the roof. The rear seat backs can also be inclined by 7.5 degrees, which provides exactly the few centimeters of space that are often missing to fit in a bulky piece of luggage, such as a folded-up stroller.

Low consumption gasoline engines, powerful and efficient diesel units

At its market launch, the Corsa is available with three gasoline and two common-rail turbo-diesel engines, which all feature ECOTEC four-valve technology. They cover an output range of 60 to 90 hp. Soon after the start of sales, a new 125 hp, 1.7 CDTI with diesel particulate filter as standard will follow as the interim top-of-the-line unit. At 2300 rpm, this engine produces 280 Nm of torque, giving the Corsa impressive propulsion power.

Low fuel consumption is also a trademark of modern Opel diesels. The new Corsa with the 90 hp, 1.3 CDTI engine needs only 4.6 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (MVEG mix test cycle). Modern technology such as the TWINPORT system also ensures higher fuel efficiency in gasoline engines. The 1.2-liter, 80 hp Corsa with Easytronic needs only 5.8 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (MVEG-mix test cycle).

In addition to the five and six-speed transmissions (combined with the two more powerful diesel engines), and the automated Easytronic manual gearbox (option for the 1.2-liter gasoline unit), the Corsa 1.4 is also available with a four-speed automatic transmission.

Newly-developed chassis for dynamics with high reserves

Excellent driving dynamics, outstanding handling – it is that easy to describe the goal Opel/GM engineers set when designing the fourth-generation Corsa. Thanks to a completely new architecture, they were able to create the best conditions for this right from the start. In addition to the stiffer body, the Corsa features a new short front subframe, allowing for optimum chassis geometry, and a torsion-beam rear axle with three roll-rate levels. Depending on the engine, these provide an ideal alignment to the different front axle loads.

The newest generation of ABS and ESP systems boasts additional functions. The Corsa’s standard ABS system features electronic brake force distribution, Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Straight-Line Stability control (SLS). The ESP system, which brakes up to four wheels individually when required, was tuned so that it firstly gives complete control to the driver, even at very high cornering speeds, and only progressively applies when there is danger of losing safe control of the car.

The engineers also focused on enhancing the steering system for the new Corsa, giving it a considerably stiffer steering column with height and reach-adjustable steering wheel and higher performance, speed-dependent Electric Power Steering (EPS). The power assistance was increased to 40 to 55 Nm (depending on the engine) to further reduce the steering effort necessary for example when parking. All Corsas with engines from 1.3 liters feature steering with variable feedback curve. The Corsa Sport also offers a segment first: newly-developed steering with variable progressive feedback curve. At 13:1, the system already delivers a direct response during straight-ahead driving. As the steering-wheel angle increases, steering becomes even more direct - 12:1 at 90 degrees - creating a sports car feeling. Variable progression ensures that the response ratio again increases at greater steering angles to enable easy maneuvering and parking.

SAFETEC, the comprehensive safety system

Opel has an integral approach to safety. All active and passive safety systems that contribute to reducing dangers when driving are categorized under one heading: SAFETEC. This includes assisting the driver with innovative features such as Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL), avoiding accidents thanks to advanced chassis and highly-developed support functions such as ABS and ESP, reducing the effects of an accident with extensive restraint systems, and protecting other road-users with features such as adaptive brake lights.

In the event of an accident, Corsa passengers are protected by optimized crash zones and restraint systems specifically adjusted for these zones, including two two-stage front airbags, side airbags for driver and front passenger, and – from Edition – head curtain airbags which deploy like curtains to cover the entire length of the interior. The front passenger airbag can easily be deactivated by a button on the instrument panel.

Not just the occupants, but also pedestrians are protected by a range of up-to-date safety measures. Features include a special low-density foam material in front of the bumper crossmember to lessen the intensity of lower-body impact, and a stiffening of the bumper’s lower section spreads out the load over a larger area, thus limiting force to the knees. The material of the hood, which was especially designed for efficient energy absorption, reduces the severity of head impacts, and the generous space between the hood and the engine provides adequate deformation distance. The fenders’ slotted fittings also deform on impact.

A first in the Corsa class, optional curve and cornering light is a real benefit for active safety. The Corsa’s AFL system is combined with halogen light to keep the price as moderate as possible while retaining all functions. The dynamic curve light reacts to the steering angle and speed of the car, turning the high or low beam headlamps up to 15 degrees outward and eight degrees inward. At speeds below 40 km/h, static cornering light is activated. Depending on turn signal and steering wheel position, the headlamps illuminate intersections and garage driveways.

Other lighting innovations in the Corsa include automatic lighting control and adaptive brake lights, a system which warns following drivers by blinking all three brake lights five times per second in case of ABS braking. If airbags or belt tensioners are activated, the hazard warning lights are automatically switched on.

Source: Opel

New Edition of the Audi Magazine

2009-09-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Audi is blazing new trails in corporate publishing: the first issue of the new Audi Magazine appeared on November 14. The Ingolstadt-based company is engaging top-flight teams for both the illustrations and the copy in the new publication. The new Audi Magazine will focus closely on the brand – while relying on high visual and journalistic quality. “Our goals are ambitious: we want to keep setting the standard in the auto industry with our customer magazine”, said Lothar Korn, Head of Marketing Communications at AUDI AG. Anyone leafing through the new Audi magazine will be caught up in it: by the dynamic photo series, where the product metamorphoses into portraits in bold collages. By elaborate styling and design productions, in which the automobile is viewed through an artistic lens. The accompanying stories are just as captivating, written by renowned journalists.
Graphically and journalistically the magazine will compare favorably with the leading lifestyle titles”, Korn continues. But consistency with the brand image will remain a key factor: “Products, design, our involvement in sport – Audi provides our editorial team with a wealth of exciting topics. So the Audi Magazine can afford to focus very closely on the brand.

The Audi Magazine is enlivened by cross-media networking with Audi tv, the brand-specific TV website. Stories about the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) for instance are complemented here by exclusive live reporting.

The worldwide circulation of the Audi Magazine totals 9 million copies, published up to four times annually in 34 languages. The magazine is subscribed to by Audi customers in 70 countries; Audi fans can also buy the magazine at newsstands.

Source: Audi

Golf 6 photos leaked

2009-09-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

Photos of the all-new sixth generation VW Golf have leaked out just a few days prior to its official media release. Set to make its public debut in Paris this October, the hugely important Golf VI represents VW's best selling model as well as one of the best selling models in the world.

The New Mercedes-Benz CLC

2009-09-09T04:45:00.001-07:00

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a stand-alone model series in the guise of the new CLC, the compelling entry-level model in the Mercedes-Benz coupé family. The Sports Coupé's design, technology and equipment meet the discerning requirements of young drivers looking for an athletic car that gives an involving drive, while at the same time delivering the hallmark Mercedes quality standards in terms of safety, comfort, environmental compatibility and functionality.

Compared with the previous Sports Coupé, the Mercedes engineers have newly developed or enhanced over 1100 components. Engineering highlights of the CLC include a new direct-steer system for even more agile cornering, state-of-the-art infotainment systems featuring a colour display, Europe-wide DVD or hard-disc navigation and media interface, Parktronic as standard on all modelsas well as an uprated four-cylinder engine that now develops 184 hp and improved fuel consumption compared with the outgoing model.

The compact body dimensions and the muscular lines emphasise the sporty appearance of the new CLC. The Mercedes designers have completely redesigned the front and rear so that the Sports Coupé embodies the contemporary Mercedes design idiom with its distinctive coupé radiator grille featuring a large Mercedes star in the centre, and the new projection-beam headlamps. The S-Class, the luxury CL-Class Coupé and the C-Class provided the stylistic models. The redesigned large tailgate conceals a variable boot with up to 1100 litres of luggage capacity. The new tail lights, the long row of LEDs which make up the third brake light unit and the rear bumper subdivide the rear and emphasise its width.

The interior of the new Mercedes-Benz CLC is akin to a contemporary tailor-made suit -- custom-fit and comfortable. Sports seats with better lateral support than ever, a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, automatic climate control and brushed aluminium trim elements form part of the standard specification. A choice of seat covers in black, alpaca grey and a particularly stylish combination of black and red are available to give the interior its individual colour scheme. The CLC also benefits from having ISOFIX fixtures and Child Seat Recognition as standard.

The CLC Sport comes with new direct-steer system and 18-inch wheels as standard

Mercedes-Benz has put together a Sport model for drivers looking for extra sporting flair. It includes exclusive engineering innovations and equipment extras such as 18-inch light-alloy wheels, wide-base tyres, headlamps with black inner surrounds, sports suspension with lowered body, leather sports steering wheel and dark brushed aluminium trim elements. Another special feature which the CLC inherits from its racing car counterparts is the instrument cluster with red needles for the speedometer and rev counter. Once the engine is switched on, these needles spin once around the dial before returning to their start positions.

The standard specification for the Sport includes a new direct-steer system, which further enhances the agile driving experience of the CLC while adding an important boost to safety. This new feature is based on the speed-sensitive power steering and also offers a variable rack ratio which changes as a function of the steering angle so that the driver only has to turn the wheel slightly when cornering; the Sports Coupé therefore responds far more spontaneously to steering commands and offers even sportier handling. As a result, the direct-steer system also improves handling safety in critical situations -- for instance when taking sudden evasive action -- as the field tests conducted by the Mercedes engineers demonstrate.

Engines: improved fuel consumption

Mercedes-Benz offers four four-cylinder and two six-cylinder engines with power outputs ranging from 122 hp to 272 hp for the new CLC. The 184 hp powerplant in the CLC 200 KOMPRESSOR now develops an extra 20 hp while now returning 36.2 mpg – the equivalent of up to 2.8 mpg more than before. The CLC 200 CDI returns a consumption of 48.7 mpg which is improved by 2.4 mpg over the outgoing model. The CDI models boast operating ranges of over 600 miles on a full tank of fuel (62 litres).

The six-speed manual transmission comes as standard with all engine variants. Mercedes-Benz can also supply a five-speed automatic transmission for the four‑cylinder units, and the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission for the C 230 (7G-TRONIC is standard on the C 350). Sport models also come with gearshift paddles on the steering wheel that the driver can use to select the gears of the automatic transmission manually and make optimum use of the engines’ high power reserves when the driving situation calls for it.

Infotainment: state-of-the-art technology for navigation and musical enjoyment on wheels

The Mercedes engineers have developed a new generation of infotainment units for the CLC, bringing luxury-class cutting-edge technology to the Sports Coupé as of September 2008. Three units are available, offering a superb combination of colour display, twin tuner, speed-sensitive volume control and Bluetooth mobile phone interface. An iPod, USB stick or other external audio devices can now also be connected to the infotainment system. A new universal media interface (optional extra) links these devices to the on-board electronics and the Sports Coupé's control system, allowing the iPod tracks to be displayed in the instrument cluster and on the colour screen in the centre console. Tracks can then be selected conveniently using the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel.

The new Audio 50 and COMAND units come with a Europe-wide DVD or hard-disc navigation system. The LINGUATRONIC voice-operated control system, which Mercedes-Benz has upgraded with a new whole-word recognition capability, is fitted as standard if the integrated six-disc DVD changer is specified. LINGUATRONIC enables the driver to conveniently operate the telephone, audio and navigation system.

Success story: Sports Coupé with extensive conquest potential

The new CLC is the successor to a successful Mercedes model that boasts some 320,000 drivers around the world to its name since 2001, 45,255 of which were in the UK. The majority of these were new Mercedes customers. Its high conquest rate of some 70 per cent made the Sports Coupé one of the most successful models in the Mercedes strategic product initiative. With the help of a compelling two-door model, the Stuttgart-based car maker has managed to fire customers' imagination over the long term. Over 40 per cent of buyers opted for a larger Mercedes model after the Sports Coupé and are currently driving an E-Class, CLK or an SLK.

Thanks to its sophisticated design, high-quality equipment and appointments, and enhanced technology, the new Mercedes-Benz CLC offers even more conquest potential than its predecessor. The public will get the chance to take a close look at the Sports Coupé for the first time at dealerships in June 2008.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Introducing the Spyker C8 Spyder: The Automotive Equivalent of the Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove

2009-09-09T04:34:00.000-07:00

Powered by 400hp of growling V8 engine this super-lightweight all-aluminum two seat sports car roars to 60mph in less than five seconds and hurtles beyond 180mph, all the while surrounding the occupants in one of the most daring and exotic interiors available on any production car.

Leather from the finest supplier in the motor industry; dashboard instruments uniquely crafted by the master watch-maker Chronoswiss; exposed gear linkage and racing pedal box hewn from solid aluminum billet; the feeling of openness that comes from no windscreen header rail; cruising Fifth Avenue with the roof down.

This is motoring for true individuals.

Source: Spyker Cars N.V.

New Renault Laguna, quality down to the finest details

2009-09-09T04:19:00.000-07:00

As of today, New Laguna reveals some of the elements reflecting the work carried out in terms of perceived quality, with particular attention paid to the quality of materials used and the standard of fit and finish in the cabin.
Elegant lines and performance levels place New Laguna fairly and squarely in the full-size category.

Everything about New Laguna has been designed for genuine driving pleasure, offering outstanding ride quality along with best-in-class active and passive safety features.

In tune with the exceptional level of traveling comfort offered, New Laguna’s interior design creates an atmosphere of calm and serenity for all occupants aboard.

New Laguna will be fully revealed on June 4, 2007. In the meantime, everyone interested can as of now sign up for an on-line discovery program where the secrets of the new Laguna’s development will gradually be revealed. This website can be accessed directly at the address: www.nineworldsports.blogspot.com

Source: Renault

Mazda to Produce All-New Mazda2 for the Chinese Market

2009-09-09T04:08:00.000-07:00

Motor (China) Co. Ltd., Mazda Motor Corporation’s management affiliate for the Chinese market, has announced that Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. (CFMA) will produce the all-new Mazda2 at its plant in Nanjing, China. The announcement was made at a pre-show media event Mazda held on April 19, 2007, in advance of the Shanghai International Motor Show. The Nanjing plant is a joint venture with Mazda’s partners in China, the Ford Motor Company and the Changan Automobile Group.
The all-new Mazda2 is the first of Mazda’s new generation of products to evolve to the next stage. Its world premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show at the beginning of March 2007 met with great acclaim. Mazda has specifically developed the Mazda2 model that will be produced at the Nanjing plant to suit the tastes of the Chinese market.

The Nanjing vehicle manufacturing plant will have an annual capacity of 160,000 units and will be based on Mazda’s production system. The plant will feature cutting-edge eco-friendliness, efficiency, and an employee-friendly working environment. Manufacturing equipment for stamping, body assembly, painting and final assembly lines has already been installed, and verification trials have begun in line with plans to commence production at the plant by the end of 2007. Adjacent to the vehicle plant, Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd., is under the final phase of construction and will commence production soon.

Mazda’s director and senior managing executive officer in charge of China Business, Kiyoshi Ozaki, commented at the media event held April 19: “Through the construction of the Nanjing manufacturing and engine plants, Mazda and our partners will not only be able to achieve business growth, but we also expect the plants will contribute to the development of the local community and the Chinese economy.”

Mazda will maintain its pursuit of harmony between driving pleasure and environmental and safety performance and always strive to be a brand that provides an exhilarating driving experience. In order to achieve our mid-term target of production and sales of 300,000 units in China in 2010, we will continue to offer Zoom-Zoom products to our customers in China.

Source: Mazda

Rolls-Royce builds 3,000th Phantom

2009-09-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has produced the 3,000th Phantom since the launch of the company in January 2003. It was commissioned by a UK customer through Rolls-Royce Motor Cars of London and has been delivered today. The car’s new owner collected the Diamond Black Phantom from the showroom in Berkeley Square. Mrs Tchenguiz-Imerman, a London based socialite, said that she was delighted with her new car as she accepted the keys from Rolls-Royce Chairman and Chief Executive, Ian Robertson.
Mr Robertson said, “Our home market has always been very special to us. It remains one of the most important for the company and our London dealer in particular has been consistently ranked as one of the top three in the world since we launched the Phantom in 2003. It is fitting that they have sold such a significant car.”

He continued, “An advantage of operating in the rarefied atmosphere of the super luxury segment means that I regularly meet our customers. It has been a pleasure to hand over this car today to someone who is so enthusiastic about the Phantom.”

The order for the 3,000th Phantom built at Goodwood was placed with Stephen Foulds, the Sales Manager for the Rolls-Royce Berkeley Square dealership. To date, Stephen has sold more than 130 Phantoms, making him the most successful Rolls-Royce salesman in the world. He puts his success down to an exceptional product and an excellent location. However, a passion for and deep knowledge of the brand play a significant part in Stephen’s achievement.

Mrs Tchenguiz-Imerman’s Phantom features Black Ash veneer with silver inlay, black leather trim with contrasting stitching and two 12-inch DVD screens in the rear. A discreet plaque in the glovebox acknowledges the car’s special status.

Source: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

And That Happened: Tuesday's scores and highlights

2009-09-09T03:34:00.000-07:00

Rangers 11, Indians 9; Rangers 10, Indians 5: Lots of runs, Marlon Byrd went 4 for 4 in the day game, blah, blah, blah, but I wanna talk about something else. As I mentioned before, I'm re-reading Nice Guys Finish Last. I'm being really pokey about it, putting it down, reading other stuff, forgetting it for a week and going back again. It just lends itself to that, ya know? Anyway, a few days ago I read a passage I hadn't thought anything of the first time I read it -- probably because I was a kid -- but that I can't shake. In it, Durocher is lamenting the decline of the playing manager, which is how he began his career. The book was published in 1975, the year Frank Robinson became the Indians' manager. Take it away, Leo:

I get a kick out of reading how difficult it is going to be for Frank Robinson to manage the Cleveland Indians and also serve as their designated hitter. Since when has swinging a bat every half hour or so become so taxing on the brain? My bet is that Frank's very presence in the lineup will give the club a shot in the arm. The Cleveland situation was made for Frank Robinson, and Frank Robinson was made for them. A good baseball city, hungry for a winner. A city which has become predominantly black . . . I always said that when it came to naming the first colored manager, Rule #1 would still apply. It was going to be the man who was in the right place at the right time.

A man of his time, I guess, but no less disturbing to see it written like that. Far more disturbing, however, was how Leo used the Robinson bit to note how he thought that Maury Wills would have become the first black manager: "Maury has everything it takes to make a good one," Durocher writes. Of course, Wills went on to become perhaps the worst manager in the history of baseball with the Mariners a few years later. There's no point to this other than to say that times and people change, it's September, and at some point you really have to quit caring about Indians-Rangers games in which no one decides to pitch.

Red Sox 10, Orioles 0: Clay Buchholz seems to be figuring this Major League stuff out (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER). Two homers for Pedroia. Papi hit a homer too. If he hits one more, he sets the DH record. The next seven games are at home, however, so we're not likely to see fans holding up asterisk signs for this momentous record. The asterisks would not be for the PED thing, though, because no one really cares about that. They'd be in protest of his status as a full time DH which is an affront to good and true baseball the world over. OK, nowhere in the world but the NL and the Central League, but if everyone else jumped off a bridge would you do it too? Well, would you?!

Cubs 9, Pirates 4: The AP game story referred to the Pirates as "hapless." I think hap-quotient is a lazy post-hoc rationalization for a team's performance. There have been plenty of teams that have won a lot of games with very little hap, and vice-versa. The 1988 Braves? Tons of hap. Lost 106 games. The 1970 Orioles, on the other hand, were a great team, but were almost totally hap-free. You can look it up.

Blue Jays 6, Twins 3: Jon Rauch was tagged with a blown save despite entering the game in the sixth inning. If I were him I'd protest that one, because there was no way he was going to finish that game. Charging a guy with a blown save in a game where he'd never otherwise sniff a save is like charging a guy with robbery when he never got anywhere near the safe.

Phillies 5, Nationals 3: You're not going to believe this, but Brad Lidge almost blew this one in the ninth. Single, ground out, HBP, WP, walk, yanked. The yanking probably came less because he was about to blow the game than it was because the walk was issued to Christian Guzman, who doesn't exactly feature the base on balls in his arsenal. Raul Ibanez hit his 29th and 30th homers, joining Howard, Utley and Werth with 30+ homers. Back in the 80s Donruss would have made a baseball card with all four of them holding bats out over the words "heavy lumber" or something. Do they still do stuff like that? Is Donruss even around anymore? If not, are my Diamond King puzzles worth anything? How about my Ron Darling "rated rookie"? Why am I going on like Andy Rooney?

Marlins 4, Mets 2: Carlos Beltran returns and goes 1 for 4. It seems like he was lost eight years ago, but it was only June. I had forgotten how great a season he was having too (.335/.423/.527). One can only wonder how 2009 could have gone for this team if they had even a scintilla of luck this year.

Time for change: Phillies can't rely on Lidge

2009-09-09T03:32:00.000-07:00

Before Tuesday's game against the Nationals, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel spoke glowingly of his embattled closer Brad Lidge, saying "I want him to realize how much confidence we have in him."

Lidge repaid his manager by going out and vomiting all over that confidence, allowing a walk, a single, and a hit batter before Manuel went to Ryan Madson to finish off the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Now the Phillies' closer situation is shrouded in confusion and frustration. Here's what Lidge had to say: "If there's a save situation tomorrow, (Manuel) said he was going to bring me in."

And here's what the manager said: "I'm not saying that he'll close tomorrow, the next day or whatever, but I look at him as a closer."

So what now for the Phillies?

One thing is for sure, they can't rely on Lidge come playoff time. The man who was perfect in 2008 has reverted to the pitcher who was run out of Houston, only worse. Much, much worse.
Lidge is 0-7 with a 7.11 ERA, and has converted saves in only 28 of his 38 opportunities. In 50 2/3 innings this season, he has allowed 60 hits and a whopping 32 walks.

Phillies fans are beating the drum for a change, and they're absolutely right. This is simply too good a team to let one struggling player sink the ship. The offense produces the second most runs in the NL and the starting rotation is solid and deep, with plenty of playoff experience.

Luckily, they have options. Madson would be one possibility. Another would be Brett Myers, who has tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief - including 1 1/3 on Tuesday -- since returning from the disabled list. Even better, he has had extended success in closing, saving 21 games and striking out 83 in 68 2/3 innings in 2007.

Myers, Madson ..... whatever. It's time for a change. The sooner, the better.

********

Daily Dose: Back scratches Lincecum

2009-09-09T03:30:00.000-07:00

Tim Lincecum was a last-minute scratch from his Tuesday night start with back pain, so the Giants called up top prospect Madison Bumgarner from Double-A to take his place versus the Padres. Bumgarner was a teenager until last month, but the former first-round pick was 9-1 with a 1.93 ERA at Double-A and handled himself pretty well against the NL's lowest-scoring team, allowing two runs over 5.1 innings.

Bumgarner's numbers as a pro as insanely good, with a 27-5 record and 1.65 ERA, but his 69/30 K/BB ratio in 107 innings at Double-A suggest that he's not quite ready to dominate. He's without question one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and the Giants obviously believed that he was ready for the challenge Tuesday night, but don't count on the young southpaw being a fantasy asset until at least mid-2010.

While the Giants unveil their next stud starter and pray that Lincecum's injury proves minor, here are some other notes from around baseball .....

Over-the-hill veterans like Seattle

2009-09-09T03:29:00.000-07:00

First, Ken Griffey Jr. said he was interested in playing another season, perhaps in Seattle. Now, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, Mike Sweeney is singing the same song.

"We'll see what happens this winter. I probably won't know if I'll get the opportunity to play for another five months or so. But if I do and it can be in a place where we could all make it work, then I'd love to play another season.''

According to the report, Sweeney was interested in Seattle or Anaheim, though the Angels seem like an unlikely fit.

So it might come down to Seattle, which is apparently a place all the over-the-hill-but-respected veterans want to be. What's next? Jay Buhner coming out of retirement for another season? Mark Langston lobbying for a role in the bullpen?

It just goes to show you they're having fun in Seattle after quickly turning a 101-loss team into a fairly competitive ballclub. In fairness, Sweeney and Griffey have received plenty of credit for their positive veteran presence in the clubhouse, but it takes more than chemistry to win games.

As general manager Jack Zduriencik continues to remake the roster Bill Bavasi left him, he'll have to weigh the worth of having respected guys like Griffey and Sweeney around vs. having guys who can actually still play.

He might get some mileage out of having one of the two around, but use up two roster spots? Not gonna happen. Personally, I'd stick with the guy who can get away with tickling Ichiro (scroll down), but that's just me.

Make a husband out of A-Rod?

2009-09-09T03:26:00.000-07:00

Unless Kate Hudson has taken on a new career as a house sitter (actually, that was her mom), it looks like she's putting some relationship heat on Yankees star Alex Rodriguez .

From MSNBC.com's "The Scoop":

Kate Hudson will make a husband out of New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez yet. The latest update from the land of the clingy involves Hudson's tendency to stay at A-Rod's place -- even when he's traveling with the team.

Make a husband out of A-Rod? Ummm, that already happened. Her name was Cynthia. And we all know how that ended up.

Anyway, if Hudson thinks that moving into A-Rod's pad will make him suddenly become faithful and go ring shopping, she doesn't know much about ballplayers. Guess she never read Ball Four.

********

If you Twitter, and aim to be Almost Famous, feel free to follow me at @Bharks.

Notes from Tuesday's moves and callups

2009-09-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

-- The White Sox brought up both Tyler Flowers and Josh Fields to help fill the void left by Jim Thome's departure. Fields' return was never in doubt, but he may not see as much playing time as expected if the White Sox want to see if Flowers is ready to hit in the majors. Flowers, a product of the Javier Vazquez deal with the Braves, batted .302/.445/.548 in 248 at-bats with Double-A Birmingham and .286/.364/.438 in 105 at-bats following a move up to Triple-A Charlotte. His defense behind the plate is subpar, so it's possible that he'll end up being a long-term first baseman or DH. The White Sox, though, intend to continue developing him as a catcher.

-- The Marlins didn't wait until the end of the minor league season to bring back Cameron Maybin, their Opening Day center fielder. He hit .319/.399/.463 in 298 at-bats for Triple-A New Orleans, and it's likely that he would have returned more than a month ago if the penny-pinching Marlins weren't trying to keep him from eventually becoming a super-two player. The Marlins figure to start him against every left-hander and at least the occasional right-hander. He seemed in line for more playing time before Jeremy Hermida bounced back and hit .312/.413/.442 during August.

-- To open up a 40-man roster spot, the Rangers designated Thomas Diamond for assignment. Diamond, the 10th overall pick in the 2004 draft, was shaping up as a fine prospect before blowing out his elbow in the spring of 2007. He missed the season following Tommy John surgery and hadn't returned to form in two years since. This season, he had a 4.20 ERA and a 58/44 K/BB in 55 2/3 innings as a reliever between Double- and Triple-A.

-- As Aaron wrote earlier, both Sean Rodriguez and Kevin Mulvey were included in trades Monday. I just wanted to bring it up again as an illustration of the point I made last week when the Yankees temporarily blocked Boston's move of Chris Carter to the Mets by claiming the outfielder on waivers.

There were seven AL teams that could have interfered with Rodriguez going to the Rays. There were 13 AL teams and five NL teams that could have blocked the move of Mulvey to the Diamondbacks. Not one of them did, even though those two players wouldn't have gotten past any teams had they been on irrevocable waivers.

What we're watching: Hudson returns against Marlins

2009-09-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

-- Fresh off a sweep of the Rockies to move into a tie for the wild card lead, the Giants will begin a three-game series in Philadelphia tonight. The opener will feature dueling left-handers in Jonathan Sanchez and Cole Hamels. Sanchez, who pitched poorly enough in the first half to be bounced from the rotation for a time, has gone 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA since his return to starting games. That stretch includes a no-hitter against the Padres and a win over the Phillies. Hamels is winless in his last five starts, though he did shut out the Pirates for eight innings last time out. He's 7-8 with a 4.52 ERA.

-- The assignment facing Minnesota's Jeff Manship in his first major league start would seem to have just gotten a whole lot easier. Now he'll face a demoralized White Sox team that just saw Jim Thome and his 897 OPS against right-handers given away last night. Manship, a Notre Dame product with a decent fastball and a plus curve, is getting a shot in the rotation after allowing four runs over seven innings in five relief appearances. It's left-handed power hitters that figure to provide him with the most problems, and the White Sox no longer have any of them.

Game of the Night

Atlanta vs. Florida - One day later than originally expected, Tim Hudson will make his return from Tommy John surgery tonight against the Marlins. The 34-year-old went 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his four Triple-A starts, though it's worth noting that International League hitters did bat .320 against him. The Marlins will counter with a rehabbing right-hander of their own in Anibal Sanchez. It will be his third start since returning from his latest round of shoulder woes. He beat the Braves by allowing one run and two hits over six innings in his return from the DL on Aug. 21, but he struggled last week against the Mets, giving up four runs -- two earned -- and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Restoring the rosters: No. 8 - Boston

2009-09-09T03:21:00.000-07:00

This is part of a series of articles examining what every team's roster would look like if given only the players it originally signed. I'm compiling the rosters, ranking them and presenting them in a countdown from Nos. 30 to 1.

No. 30 - Cincinnati
No. 29 - Kansas City
No. 28 - San Diego
No. 27 - Milwaukee
No. 26 - Baltimore
No. 25 - Chicago (AL)
No. 24 - Chicago (NL)
No. 23 - Pittsburgh
No. 22 - Detroit
No. 21 - Tampa Bay
No. 20 - New York (NL)
No. 19 - Houston
No. 18 - Oakland
No. 17 - St. Louis
No. 16 - Florida
No. 15 - San Francisco
No. 14 - Texas
No. 13 - Cleveland
No. 12 - Minnesota
No. 11 - Arizona
No. 10 - Los Angeles (AL)
No. 9 - Toronto

The Red Sox miss Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling and Trot Nixon, who would have proven pretty useful even in the twilights of their careers, but a first-rate infield and bullpen gets them the eighth spot here.

Rotation
Jon Lester
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Justin Duchscherer
Clay Buchholz
Justin Masterson

Bullpen
Jonathan Papelbon
Frank Francisco
Hideki Okajima
Daniel Bard
Manny Delcarmen
Rafael Betancourt
Ron Mahay

It's difficult to rate the rotation when Matsuzaka has been a bust this year and Duchscherer has missed the entire season. In 2008, both were among the AL's top pitchers. The Red Sox do have depth behind them in the form of veterans Anibal Sanchez, Carl Pavano and Jeff Suppan and prospects Michael Bowden and Junichi Tazawa.

The bullpen, though, is undeniably a strength. The career batting-average againsts for the top three relievers are .200, .222 and .213. Delcarmen and Betancourt are also under .240. I went with Mahay for the last spot over the aforementioned starters and Cla Meredith. He hasn't pitched well this year, but he's typically been a pretty reliable left-hander.

Interestingly, both Betancourt and Mahay were originally signed as position players by the Red Sox. Betancourt spent three years as an infielder in the system, while Mahay was an outfielder for five years.

Lineup
CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2B Dustin Pedroia
SS Hanley Ramirez
1B Kevin Youkilis
3B Freddy Sanchez
LF David Murphy
DH Nomar Garciaparra
RF Brandon Moss
C Kelly Shoppach

Bench
INF Jed Lowrie
INF David Eckstein
OF Matt Murton
C Dusty Brown

The Pedroia-Hanley-Youkilis combination in the middle of the order would be a site to behold, but the Red Sox scored fewer points for their outfield than any other team ranked this high and the DH spot was another major problem. Garciaparra was really the only option, and perhaps there's still a chance he could post an 800 OPS if he's not constantly getting hurt playing the infield. Moss gets the nod in right for now, since he is a quality defensive outfielder. Murton would still play over him against lefties. By next year, Josh Reddick could prove to be the better player.

Summary
While Dan Duquette doesn't deserve the shunning he's received since being ousted as Boston's general manager, his strengths didn't lie in developing talent. What intriguing players the Red Sox did produce then usually made their marks elsewhere. The farm system has bounced back in a big way under Theo Epstein, and it's currently churning out legitimate players about as frequently as any in baseball. What makes it even more impressive is that the team hasn't had a pick in the top half of the first round since 1998 (Adam Everett, 12th).

Rodriguez, Mulvey are players to be named later

2009-09-09T03:20:00.000-07:00

Lots of "players to be named later" have been swapped recently and this afternoon two of them have actually been ... well, named later.

* Sean Rodriguez joins Matt Sweeney and Alex Torres as the third prospect heading from the Angels to the Rays for Scott Kazmir. Rodriguez has split time between second base and shortstop in the minors while hitting .301/.398/.626 with 50 homers in 170 games at Triple-A.

Those numbers are inflated by a hitter-friendly environment and at 24 years old Rodriguez doesn't project as a star, but he's an MLB-ready infielder with good power and represents a nice pickup for Tampa Bay. He seemed destined to never get a great opportunity with the Angels, so the deal works out well for Rodriguez too.

* Kevin Mulvey was part of the big trade that sent Johan Santana from the Twins to the Mets, but now he's headed to the Diamondbacks as the PTBNL for reliever Jon Rauch. Mulvey's stock has dropped since the Santana deal, but at worst he's an MLB-ready fifth starter and was one of the Twins' top dozen prospects coming into the season.

Philip Humber has been dropped from the 40-man roster twice without being claimed off waivers and Mulvey is in Arizona, so Minnesota's return for Santana basically now boils down to Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, and 1.25 seasons of Rauch. Not quite the haul Twins fans had in mind when all the juicy rumors were swirling two offseasons ago.

Penny wanted out of the American League

2009-09-09T03:19:00.000-07:00

Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Twins decided against claiming Brad Penny off waivers after they learned that he wanted to go back to the National League.

Instead of the Twins assuming Penny's remaining contract and taking the Red Sox off the hook for about $1.2 million, he was released after clearing waivers and signed what basically amounts to a one-month, $75,000 deal with the Giants.

Minnesota reached out to Penny through Mike Redmond and Carl Pavano, who previously played with him in Florida, and received indications from both the 31-year-old right-hander and his agent that he'd rather avoid another American League team.

Penny spent the first nine years of his career in the NL, going 94-75 with a 4.06 ERA before posting a 5.61 ERA in 24 starts with the Red Sox. On one hand players dictating waiver claims and roster decisions isn't such a great thing. On the other hand it's tough to blame Penny for wanting to flee back to the NL after seeing John Smoltz do the same with (so far) lots of success.

Santana, Perez have 'successful' surgeries

2009-09-09T03:18:00.000-07:00

Johan Santana and Oliver Perez each went under the knife this morning, with Santana having bone chips removed from his left elbow and Perez having scar tissue removed from his right knee.

Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek did the honors for both pitchers and afterward the team announced that the surgeries were successful. Obviously. In the long history of professional sports, has a team ever come out immediately after a surgery and said, "Wow, that went horribly"?

Anyway, barring setbacks--which incidentally could be the title of the Mets' season video---both Santana and Perez are expected to be fully healthy for spring training. Santana has four years and $95.5 million remaining on his contract, while Perez is still owed $12 million per season for 2010 and 2011.

First batch of September call-ups includes Giambi

2009-09-09T03:17:00.000-07:00

Teams will be calling up players throughout the day as rosters expand to 40 spots, so keep an eye on Rotoworld's player news page for all the latest transactions.

Along with the Brewers bringing back J.J. Hardy once his service time was sufficiently suppressed, here are some of the other noteworthy early moves:

* As expected, Jason Giambi has joined the Rockies' bench after signing a minor-league contract last week. He went 8-for-18 with two homers in a brief stay at Triple-A and will fill the same pinch-hitting role that the Dodgers have in store for Jim Thome.

* Tim Hudson was activated from the 60-day disabled list and will make his season debut tonight against the Marlins, facing big-league hitters for the first time since undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery 12 months ago.

* Brandon Wood is back with the Angels and will no doubt take his usual seat on the bench after hitting .293/.353/.557 with 22 homers in 99 games at Triple-A. He'll be joined by homerless wonder Reggie Willits and catcher Bobby Wilson, who reportedly might end up as the player to be named later in the Scott Kazmir trade.

* Speaking Kazmir, his old rotation spot in Tampa Bay now belongs to Andy Sonnanstine, who's back with the Rays after a two-month demotion to Triple-A. Sonnanstine had a 6.61 ERA in 15 starts with the Rays and then posted a 4.40 ERA in nine starts at Durham, so things could get ugly tonight against the Red Sox.

* Acquired from the Orioles for a PTBNL or cash last week, Joey Gathright will be the Red Sox's pinch-runner and defensive replacement down the stretch. Gathright isn't much of a hitter with a career .262/.327/.303 line, but he's one of the fastest players in baseball, has tons of range in the outfield, and will prove to be a major asset if the Red Sox ever need someone to jump over a car.

Ayala's bad pitching, big mouth is strange combo

2009-09-09T03:16:00.000-07:00

Earlier this season Luis Ayala talked his way out of Minnesota by walking into manager Ron Gardenhire's office and complaining about his role, suggesting that he should be the Twins' eighth-inning setup man despite sporting a 4.18 ERA and .306 opponents' batting average in 32.1 innings spent primarily in middle relief.

Here's what Gardenhire said at the time:

When you walk into my office and tell me you don't like your role, and he talked about his contract for next year, you lose me right there. I don't deal with that. We're talking about winning now. That's why he's out the door and another guy's in there to pitch. And it's not because he's a bad guy. His theories are a little different.

After being released by the Twins he eventually signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins, who called Ayala up a couple times and let him go 0-3 with an 11.74 ERA in 10 appearances before designating him for assignment yesterday.

And naturally Ayala is now unhappy with how the Marlins treated him:

It was terrible what they did. I don't know why they called me up if they were going to do this. I think it's a lack of respect. I know it's a business, but for me, it's something they've handled poorly.

In fairness to Ayala, he's more or less an expert on handling things poorly. Since the beginning of last season he's been paid approximately $4 million to go 3-15 with a 5.68 ERA in 115.2 innings, and when not alienating his employers with his performance he's burned bridges with his mouth. Or as Gardenhire put it: "His theories are a little different."

Saltalamacchia '50-50' for season-ending surgery

2009-09-09T03:15:00.000-07:00

Jarrod Saltalamacchia revealed yesterday that he's "50-50" to undergo season-ending surgery after leaving a minor-league rehab game over the weekend with reoccurring numbness in his right arm.

Saltalamacchia has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which is described as "a rare condition" that involves a rib pressing against a nerve in his shoulder and causing the pain in his arm that landed him on the disabled list in mid-August.

"I'm not giving up," Saltalamacchia said. I tried 15 days and it didn't get better. It got better but not to the point where I can play nine innings."

Prior to the injury he hit just .236/.293/.375 with an ugly 96/22 K/BB ratio in 83 games, and the former top prospect's lack of development is a big part of why the Rangers' once-impressive catching depth has gone from strength to weakness this season.

Ivan Rodriguez and Taylor Teagarden have split time behind the plate since Saltalamacchia landed on the shelf, but he's still just 24 years old and if healthy will definitely have a chance to reclaim the starting job next spring. However, the success rate for thoracic outlet syndrome surgery is said to be only 50-80 percent.

The Yankees to price playoff tickets in a relatively reasonable manner

2009-09-09T03:13:00.000-07:00

The team that hasn't passed up an opportunity to gouge its fans all year passes up an opportunity to gouge its fans:
The Yankees today announced 2009 postseason ticket pricing for potential games at Yankee Stadium in the American League Division Series, American League Championship Series and World Series. Prices for the vast majority of postseason tickets are less than those that were charged by the Yankees for equivalent seating in the 2007 postseason at the original Yankee Stadium . . .
. . . Regular season ticket prices for full-season ticket licensees (non-Suites) will be replicated for the 2009 American League Division Series (i.e., a Main Level ticket that costs a full-season ticket licensee $60 in the 2009 regular season will cost the same licensee $60 for the ALDS), however, full-season ticket licensees (non-Suites) of $325 Field Level seats may purchase their seats for the ALDS at the lower price of $275 each.

In light of this I can only assume that beer will be $125 a cup and "personal urinal licenses" will be sold at $50 a pop to make up for lost revenue.

The Twins have the dough to sign Mauer. They should do it ASAP.

2009-09-09T03:12:00.001-07:00

Twins' president David St. Peter is telling the Pioneer Press that, yes, the money is there:

Joe Mauer, the Twins all-star, Gold Glove winner and batting champion, can become a free agent after next season. Negotiations will begin after this season.

Will the Twins be able to afford Mauer?

"Yeah, we can afford him," team President Dave St. Peter said.

Is Mauer eager to get a new deal done?

"I haven't even thought about it," Mauer said. "I've got enough on my plate right now trying to win a ballgame."

That last quote is the most interesting in that it strongly suggests that Mauer, like a lot of players, is not going to want to be negotiating during the 2010 season. What that means is that, for all practical purposes, the Twins need to extend Mauer this offseason and no later lest (a) distrating and morale-killing trade rumors start flying next summer; or (b) Mauer has the oppotunuty to solicit offers from others next fall.

The smart money still has Mauer staying in his hometown, but if it gets to be spring training and nothing is done, the odds will begin to drop. The Twins don't need the hassle, the bad P.R. or the spectre of the Red Sox or someone driving up the price. They need to get a long term deal done for Mauer this winter.

Brandon Phillips has an enemies list

2009-09-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

Brandon Phillips was hit on his wrist during a game against the Nats on August 15th, and claims he has a hairline fracture. Like any normal human being, Phillips has written the perpetrator's name down in permanent marker and has vowed revenge:

"J.D. Martin," Phillips said. "You can look at my hat and his name is in there. I write names in my hat and remember who I need to get .... Not fighting or nothing, but getting back at that dude. You give some hard look at 'em, let 'em know, let 'em see your name.

Pfft. If he was really serious he'd tattoo Martin's name on his knuckles or on his back like DeNiro in "Cape Fear." Or Sideshow Bob in "Cape Feare."

Actually, if he was really serious, he'd be able to remember the names on his enemies list without having to write them all down. Assuming, at least, that he only has a small number of enemies. Which may not be a safe assumption.

Detroit continues to desecrate the corpse of Tiger Stadium

2009-09-09T03:08:00.000-07:00

Mel Gibson's death scene in "Braveheart" didn't last this long:

Old Glory still flies in Tiger Stadium's center field, surrounded by foothills of concrete and twisted steel, shards of scrunched up plastic.

The half-gutted carcass of an elevator shaft looms high over the rubble, bearing witness to incomplete destruction, bureaucratic folly, bad timing and the near-total failure of love to fix any of it.

All work stopped weeks ago, without public explanation, amid territorial negotiations between state and city officials over the final tear-down.

The demolition, the article notes, is into its 14th month. It didn't take that long to build the original structure in 1911-12. What an absolute disgrace.

"thanks to reader YankeeFan Len for the link. Here's hoping the same thing doesn't happen to his team's old stadium"

Furcal family forced to evacuate

2009-09-09T03:07:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how ballplayers function when stuff happens with their families while they're on the road:

While in Denver on Thursday, Rafael Furcal got an alarming call from his wife. Authorities had issued a mandatory evacuation of their Flintridge neighborhood as the raging Station Fire approached, and she didn't know what to do.

"I tell my wife, 'You know what, get clothes for the kids and take the car and get out of there,'" Furcal said. "Life is more important than anything."

Furcal's house was spared and everyone was alright. Torre didn't start Furcal against the Diamondbacks last night, in part to give him a mental break.

Jerry Hairston takes the blame for Pettitte losing his perfecto

2009-09-09T03:05:00.000-07:00

If a guy makes an error that costs his pitcher a perfect game, and the very next hitter laces a single into the outfield, my sense of it is that you can't really dwell on the error, because, hey, the no-no and perfecto would have been gone a minute later anyway. Then again, I don't have to fill column inches in New York:

The ground ball didn't appear to take any sort of bad hop, no matter what the Yankee players were saying afterward. In truth it was the type that Jerry Hairston could field without a bobble 100 times out of 100 under ordinary circumstances.

So maybe the importance of the moment got to him. Then again, Hairston had saved the perfect game only an inning earlier with a barehand play on a slow roller. In any case, when he missed Adam Jones' grounder with two outs in the seventh inning, Hairston perhaps changed the course of history, and Andy Pettitte's karma as well.

There's some sort of third order story like this coming out of every Yankees' game. We pay attention to the sensationalism surrounding A-Rod and all of that, but I think that this is the kind of scrutiny --- 800 words devoted to someone's relatively meaningless error -- that people are really talking about when they talk about the pressure of New York.

This one story? No big deal. 160 of them? Man, that has to get old.

And That Happened: Monday's scores and highlights

2009-09-09T03:02:00.000-07:00

Reds 4, Pirates 3; Reds 6, Pirates 3: Darnell McDonald scored on a wild pitch by Jesse Chavez with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to win the first game of the doubleheader. There was no one there. Like, 2000 people. Which is a crime considering how nice a day it was in Ohio yesterday. Sure, it was just a makeup game and sure it was the Pirates, but if there aren't at least a couple thousand more office drones, college students, and other assorted knuckleheads that can make it to a walkable ballpark on a glorious afternoon then our civilization is circling the damn drain.

Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 3: It had to be kind of hard to play this game while this is looming beyond left field. Arizona managed, however, getting two runs off of James McDonald in the 10th. The Dodgers finish August with a record of 14-15, but hey, they've got reinforcements now. You excited Jim Thome? "I just want to be honest with you. I'd love to come. I want to help you guys any way I can. But playing first base is not something I'm going to be able to do -- maybe in an emergency situation, perhaps." Fear the Dodgers.

Braves 5, Marlins 2: Life comes at you fast. Josh Johnson didn't give up a hit until Matt Diaz singled in the 6th, but he wouldn't survive the seventh inning following a couple of hits from Chipper Jones and Yunel Escobar followed by an Omar Infante triple and a David Ross RBI single.

Blue Jays 18, Rangers 10: Toronto led this game 11-0 at one point but thought it wasn't sporting to embarrass their host in their very home and thus allowed them to make a go of it, watching the lead shrink down to a single run before scoring seven in the ninth. Adam Lind had eight (8) (VIII) RBI in this game. I'm assuming Nolan Ryan had people killed after it was over.

Yankees 5, Orioles 1: Without looking, I'm going to assume that this was Andy Pettitte's best start of the year (8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 8K) [time passes] OK, I looked, and yes it was his best start of the year. In fact, if you go by game score, it was Pettitte's best start since June 30, 2002, when he threw a three-hit shutout against the Mets.

Rays 11, Tigers 7: If the best trade deadline pickup was Cliff Lee or Adam LaRoche, then the worst is no doubt Jarrod Washburn (5.2 IP, 9 H, 8 ER). Harkins says it best: "Tigers fans must feel like they got hoodwinked."

Twins 4, White Sox 1: The White Sox: sinking like whale fall. Not only did Joe Mauer hit a homer, but he stole a base. What's more, as he slid into second, he caught the errant throw after it deflected off of Jayson Nix's glove. Mauer doesn't always drink beer, when he does, he prefers Dos Equis.

Astros 5, Cubs 3: Carlos Lee was 2-4 with a homer and 4 RBI. Rich Harden, who had a busy day of not being traded and everything, gave up five runs on five hits and walked six in five innings.

Angels 10, Mariners 0: Two homers for Vlad, who went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI. Joe Saunders and Trevor Bell allow only three hits which, after what happened to against Zack Greinke on Sunday, was a veritable breakout performance by the M's bats.

Padres 3, Nationals 1: Livan Hernandez does what he was hired to do: pitch a bunch of innings, save the bullpen, and still lose so as not to mess up the whole Bryce Harper thing. OK, maybe that's not the real intention -- Hernandez actually pitched well last night --- but it's a nice little byproduct of his Livanness, no?

Athletics 8, Royals 5: Oakland trailed 4-0 after two innings, but scored five runs in the third and then added three more in the sixth. One of those runs came after when Luke Hochevar allowed Rajai Davis to advance to third while Hochevar was wiping his brow, mistakenly believing that play was dead. Oops.

Arms race in NL West: Dodgers add Thome, Garland; Rockies get Contreras

2009-09-09T00:48:00.000-07:00

The Brad Penny pickup set off a chain reaction in the NL West, as the two remaining contenders also picked up pieces before the Monday night deadline to have new acquisitions qualify for postseason play.

The Dodgers landed a potential Hall of Famer in Jim Thome, but right-hander Jon Garland may well prove to be the bigger pickup. That's because even if the Dodgers were willing to sacrifice defense at first base, Thome just isn't much more than an emergency option in the field at this point of his career. He'll be used strictly off the bench for his fourth major league team, at least until the World Series. He's hit .206/.354/.365 in 63 at-bats as a pinch-hitter in his career. Over the last two years, he's 1-for-15.

Garland is the second addition to the Dodger rotation in as many weeks, joining Vicente Padilla. He struggled in his first two months in the NL, but he's amassed a 3.56 ERA in 16 starts since the beginning of June. Also encouraging is his 50/15 K/BB ratio in 78 1/3 innings over the last two months. He figures to replace Charlie Haeger for now, putting him in the rotation alongside Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw and Randy Wolf. If Hiroki Kuroda can return in a week or two as hoped, then Padilla would likely head to the pen.

The Rockies also wanted Garland, but settled for Jose Contreras, who was 5-13 with a 5.42 ERA in 114 2/3 innings for the White Sox. Surprisingly, they're sending back a decent prospect in Brandon Hynick, who was thought to be a possibility to take over as their new fifth starter. Hynick has a below average fastball, but his splitter is a nice pitch and he displays very good command. He might take over the fifth spot in the White Sox rotation. Contreras will try to help replace the injured Aaron Cook in Colorado. He seems to be on his last legs. but the league switch might do him some good.

Along with acquiring Hynick, the White Sox picked up infielder Justin Fuller for Thome. A 2006 11th-round pick, Fuller has hit .254/.340/.418 in 177 at-bats for high-A Inland Empire this year. He has a quality glove and he bats left-handed, so if he starts to show some offensive ability, he'll get looks as a utilityman. He's a long shot, though. With Thome gone, they'll likely give Josh Fields significant time at DH in September. It could be his last chance with the club.

Daily Dose: Hardy back in Milwaukee

2009-09-09T00:40:00.001-07:00

J.J. Hardy is headed back to Milwaukee now that rosters have expanded, but three weeks spent at Triple-A is just enough time to delay his free agency by another year. Rather than being arbitration eligible for the final time next season Hardy is under the Brewers' control through 2011, which should come in handy when trying to trade him this offseason.

Alcides Escobar has started 13 of 17 games at shortstop following Hardy's demotion, but general manager Doug Melvin indicated that the two players will split the position down the stretch. Hardy hit just .246/.279/.415 in 17 games at Triple-A, but it makes sense for the Brewers to give him some action in the hopes that he can build up a bit of additional trade value. Still, expect Escobar to be the primary starter.

While the Brewers slickly gain an extra year of Hardy's services, here are some other notes from around baseball .....

* Much like John Smoltz did a couple weeks ago, Brad Penny signed with a National League team Monday immediately after clearing waivers and being released by the Red Sox. He joins the Giants on what is essentially a one-month, $100,000 deal to replace Joe Martinez as the fifth starter and clearly hopes to follow further in Smoltz's footsteps by turning his awful season around in the weaker league.

Penny went 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA and 89/42 K/BB ratio over 131.2 innings in Boston, including 0-4 with a 9.11 ERA in his final five starts. His fastball has still clocked in at an average of 94.0 miles per hour this season, but it's been one of the least-effective heaters in baseball against AL batters. Don't expect a dramatic turnaround, but he's certainly capable of having some value in NL-only leagues down the stretch.

* As expected, the Diamondbacks placed Chad Qualls on the disabled list Monday after the closer suffered a gruesome-looking dislocated kneecap on the final play of Tuesday night's game. Qualls will miss the remainder of this season and his status for the beginning of next season could be in some doubt. No official fill-in has been named, but rookie Juan Gutierrez is the obvious choice followed by Clay Zavada.

* Kyle Blanks' strong rookie season came to a halt Monday when he was diagnosed with a partially torn plantar fascia in his right foot. Blanks blasted 10 homers and 19 total extra-base hits in just 148 at-bats, joining Adrian Gonzalez this year and Milton Bradley in 2007 as the only hitters to produce an Isolated Power above .250 calling Petco Park home. The ballpark limits his upside, but expect 25-plus homers in 2010.

AL Quick Hits: Ichiro Suzuki (calf) was held out of the lineup again Monday, but did take batting practice and shag fly balls before the game ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia (hand) could be headed for surgery after being removed a rehab game Monday at Double-A ... Jarrod Washburn was rocked for eight runs Monday, giving him a 6.81 ERA in six starts with the Tigers ... Tim Wakefield (back) received a cortisone shot Monday and will be evaluated further later this week ... Adrian Beltre is expected to rejoin the lineup Tuesday just three weeks after injuring his testicle ... Carlos Guillen went 4-for-5 with two homers, four RBIs, and three runs Monday ... On the disabled list with complications from past back surgeries, Joe Crede denied reports that he's considering retirement ... Jeremy Bonderman is due to come off the DL when rosters expand Tuesday, but is not a rotation option ... Is there something higher than MVP? Joe Mauer homered, singled, stole a base, and scored twice in a 4-1 win Tuesday.

NL Quick Hits: Rich Harden struggled Monday after the Twins failed to trade for him, giving up five runs on five hits and six walks in five innings ... Lou Piniella said that Geovany Soto will begin to lose playing time to Koyie Hill because of his season-long struggles ... Tim Lincecum's next start has been pushed back one day after he threw a season-high 127 pitches in eight shutout innings Friday ... Carlos Beltran (knee) is scheduled to begin a rehab stint Wednesday at Single-A ... Johnny Cueto threw five innings of one-run ball in his return from the disabled list Monday after going 0-6 with a 10.63 ERA in his previous eight starts ... Jordan Schafer had season-ending wrist surgery Monday, but should be ready for spring training ... Nick Johnson (hamstring) is set to start a rehab assignment Tuesday at Single-A ... Daniel McCutchen hurled a Quality Start in his debut Monday despite serving up a leadoff homer .... Brandon Phillips revealed Tuesday that he's been playing with a fractured wrist for two weeks.

Never leave your ring on the sink

2009-09-09T00:20:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this ring? It would be hard to miss.

Police are investigating the disappearance of a 2008 World Series championship ring, which a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization has lost.

The ring, which is worth $15,000 and contains more than 100 diamonds, is not considered stolen at this point, just missing.

The owner is a member of the Phillies marketing department. He says he realized the 2008 world title ring was missing after he used a bathroom at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, when the Phillies were off.

The guess here is this guy broke a major commandment regarding rings: Never take them off and leave them on a bathroom sink. In fact, don't take it off in the bathroom anyway. Actually, if it's this expensive, never take it off .... ever.

So let's turn it over to Phillies fans: Which would you rather lose, a $15,000 World Series ring, or your wedding ring? Which would you be in more trouble for losing?

Ludvigson wins silver tumbling medal at World Cup in Poland

2009-09-08T23:52:00.000-07:00

ZIELONA GORA, Poland, Sept. 5, 2009 – The USA’s Kalon Ludvigson of Pocatello, Idaho, won the men’s tumbling silver medal at the World Cup in Zielona Gora, Poland. This is Ludvigson’s second World Cup silver in two weeks.

In men’s synchronized trampoline, the duo of Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., and Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif., finished just off the awards podium in fourth place. Earlier in the session, Gluckstein was eighth in men’s trampoline. In women’s synchronized trampoline, Alaina Williams of Huntsville, Ala., and Nani Vercruyssen of Honolulu placed seventh in the finals.

Ludvigson finished behind Evgeniy Zinukov of Russia, 75.20 to 73.90. The other World Cup champions are: Chunlong Lu, China, men’s trampoline; Masaki Ito and Shunsuke Nagasaki, Japan, men’s synchronized trampoline; and Julia Domchevska and Olena Movchan, Ukraine, women’s synchronized trampoline. The information on women’s trampoline and tumbling were not available at this time.

The World Cup format featured a preliminary round, with the top eight gymnasts advancing to the finals (a maximum of two individuals or one pair per country may advance in final).

Trampoline and Tumbling World Cup
Zielona Gora, Poland
Final results

Trampoline

Men1. Chunlong Lu, China, 42.40
2. Xiao Tu, China, 41.90
3. Ito Masaki, Japan, 41.70
U.S. finish
8. Steven Gluckstein, USA/Atlantic Highlands, N.J., 39.80

Synchronized trampoline

Men1. Masaki Ito and Shunsuke Nagasaki, Japan, 51.60
2. Daniel Praest and Peter Jensen, Denmark, 50.20
3. Ben Wilden and Blake Gaudry, Australia, 50.00
U.S. finish
4. Steven Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J., and Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif./USA, 49.80

Women
1. Julia Domchevska and Olena Movchan, Ukraine, 45.90
2. Ann Ivanova and Galina Goncharenko, Russia, 45.60
3. Ekaterina Khilko and Anna Savkina, Uzbekistan, 45.10
U.S. finish
7. Alaina Williams, Huntsville, Ala., and Nani Vercruyssen, Honolulu/USA, 17.90

Tumbling

Men
1. Evgeniy Zinukov, Russia, 75.20
2. Kalon Ludvigson, USA/Pocatello, Idaho, 73.90
3. Viktor Kyfarenko, Ukraine, 72.90

Leipheimer set for return at Tour of Missouri

2009-09-08T03:14:00.000-07:00

ST. LOUIS --- Levi Leipheimer is back in the saddle and set to compete in the Tour of Missouri, less than two months after breaking his right wrist in the Tour de France.

No way he wanted be done racing this early.

“It’s not 100 percent, but it’s good enough to be here,” Leipheimer said Sunday, a day before the start of the weeklong stage race with a 75-mile circuit in downtown St. Louis. “My main goal is to sort of get back in shape so I didn’t have to finish my season in the middle of July, so next year I wasn’t coming from such an out-of-shape state.”

The 35-year-old Leipheimer blames himself for the accident not far from the finish of the 13th stage of the Tour de France, saying he paid for the “stupid mistake” of not keeping his eyes on the road at all times.

“I had my head down for a second, looked up, and there the corner was,” Leipheimer said. “I wasn’t set up properly and was coming into it way too fast, way too much on the inside.

“I just ran out of room, basically, and crashed.”

While on the mend, Leipheimer prepared to jump ship from the world’s top-ranked Astana team along with Lance Armstrong, signing a two-year deal last week with Team RadioShack starting Jan. 1. He plans on using this week’s race as a barometer for whether he’ll compete in the time trial at the world championships in Switzerland later this month.

Leipheimer, who finished fourth in the 2007 Tour de France, doesn’t want to make the trip if he’s not ready for the podium.

“I’ve been fourth there a couple times and I don’t want to go there and get fourth again,” Leipheimer said. “So I want to be sure I feel strong enough and have a chance of at least getting a medal.”

He’ll be tested in the third Tour of Missouri, which winds its way across the state with the finish in Kansas City next Sunday. Two dozen racers from this year’s Tour de France and seven of the world’s top pro teams, up from one in the first year and three in 2008, have entered.

Sprint specialist Mark Cavendish of Great Britain and Team Columbia won six stages in this year’s Tour de France. The team also features George Hincapie, a 14-year Tour de France veteran and the 2007 Tour of Missouri winner, and three-time time trial world champion Michael Rogers of Australia.

Team Garmin-Slipstream is led by defending champion Christian Vande Velde, who finished fourth in the Tour de France last year.

Like Leipheimer, Jens Voigt of Germany is a Tour de France crash survivor after a spectacular face plant on a downhill during the 16th stage that knocked him unconscious.

“It looked more impressive than it really was,” Voigt said. “I’ve only been back in training for a short amount of time, so we’ll see how it goes.

“Maybe I’ll be in the breakaway, or maybe I’ll be in front of the broom wagon.”

Last year’s race attracted 434,000 spectators and the state estimated a return of just under $30 million in economic impact for its $1.5 million investment in 2008. The race is considered one of the world’s top five cycling events outside Europe.

“The Tour of Missouri has exceeded our fondest hopes,” said Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who played a lead role in bringing the event to the state. “It has been a magnet for state tourism. Missourians get this event.”

A magnet for riders, too. Cavendish won three stages last year and pushed his team to make a return engagement.

I really liked the race last year, I really like coming to America,” Cavendish said. “Obviously, when you’re winning it makes it a little bit more special.

Valverde moves into overall lead at Vuelta

2009-09-08T02:59:00.000-07:00

XORRET DE CATI, Spain --- Spaniard Gustavo Cesar Veloso took a solo win in Stage 9 of the Tour of Spain on Monday, and his compatriot Alejandro Valverde moved into the overall lead.

Caisse D'Epargne rider Valverde, banned from competing in Italy for two years, finished third in the mountainous leg from Alcoy to Xorret de Cati to overtake overnight leader Cadel Evans in the overall standings.

Valverde upped the pace on a short but painfully steep five-kilometer climb close to the finish, shattering the main bunch.

Despite not catching Cesar Veloso or second-placed Marco Marzano of Italy, a time bonus for third place on the 188.8-kilometer stage propelled Valverde to the top of the overall standings.

Australian Evans lies seven seconds back, while Dutchman Robert Gesink is in third, 36 seconds off the pace.

"More than the stage win, I was fighting to get a time bonus which would give me the lead," Valverde told reporters.

"Tomorrow (Tuesday) the race goes into Murcia, my home region, and I very much wanted to be wearing the leader's jersey for that occasion.

"So I forced the pace as best I could on the climb and I managed to take the lead. But Evans will be a difficult rider to beat."

KEEPING CALM

The world's top-ranked rider in 2008, Valverde was banned from racing in Italy for two years by Italy's Olympic Committee (CONI) in May this year.

CONI said blood samples Valverde gave at a doping control when last year's Tour de France entered Italy for a stage matched DNA from code-named bags of blood discovered in Spain's Operacion Puerto doping investigation, launched in 2006.

Valverde could not take part in the 2009 Tour de France because part of an Alpine stage passed through Italy.

The Spaniard has repeatedly said he is innocent and has launched an appeal before the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS).

Stage winner Cesar Veloso said keeping calm on the final climb had been the key to his victory.

"I only just made it into the break of the day, I was the second last rider to do so," he told reporters.

Then on the climb, when one of the other guys (Estonian) Rein Taaramae attacked, I kept going steady and finally overtook him for the win. The Tour of Spain finishes in Madrid on Sept. 20.

Cavendish sprints to opening stage win at Missouri

2009-09-08T02:34:00.002-07:00

ST. LOUIS --- Mark Cavendish of Great Britain, a cycling sprint specialist, was in unfamiliar territory on Saturday when he presented the game ball before the Missouri-Illinois football game.

“It took me three hours to understand what was actually going on,” Cavendish said.

The opening stage of the Tour of Missouri was more like it. The 24-year-old Cavendish, who won six stages of the Tour de France in July, prevailed in a sprint finish of the 75-mile circuit race, beating J.J. Haedo of Saxo Bank and Thor Hushovd of Cervelo Test to the line with a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes and 56 seconds over a flat course.

Defending champion Christian Vande Velde was part of a pileup that involved more than a dozen riders near the finish and was the last of 118 to finish. Vande Velde was taken to a hospital with a wrist injury.

“We try to take control of the finish, we try to take control of the race,” Cavendish said. “It was like a carrot on a string at the finish line.”

Cavendish has 24 stage wins this year, and finished first in at least one stage of every event since March of 2008. Hushovd, who won the green jersey in the Tour de France as the best sprinter, broke a wheel after hitting a manhole cover depression about a half-mile to go.

“Everybody goes through some time in their career when they’re pretty much unbeatable,” Haedo said. “It’s not going to last forever. At least that’s what we hope.”

Cavendish makes a habit of getting to the end with plenty left, taking three stages of the Tour of Missouri last year, because of the strength of his team. The Columbia lineup features Michael Rogers, a three-time world time trial champion, and George Hincapie, a veteran of 14 Tour de Frances and coming off his third USA pro cycling road race title.

“I don’t feel any pressure at all, it’s what I enjoy doing,” Cavendish said. “For sure, when I lose then it’s hard. If the guys ride like they rode all day and I don’t win, that’s hard to deal with.”

The only difficulty with this victory was splitting the spoils. A sponsor presented a $12,500 Harley Davidson motorcycle to the stage one winner.

“We like to celebrate our successes together and that includes the rewards you get,” Cavendish said. “It’ll get split fairly.”

The team’s about to get splintered a bit, with the 36-year-old Hincapie signing a two-year contract with BMC. Hincapie said this has been one of his “most memorable” years in cycling, given the success he’s helped Cavendish achieve in the Milan-San Remo race and Tour de France.

Those wins “are right up there with anything I’ve done my whole career,” Hincapie said. “So really right now, I prefer to focus on that. Once next season rolls around I’ll be focusing on new challenges.”

Cavendish already misses him, referring to Hincapie as the “granddaddy of the team” while crediting the veteran for helping him succeed in cycling.

To be perfectly honest, I get really emotional about it, Cavendish said. “He’s like a big brother to me. We’ve worked so well the last few years and he’s such a big, big part of the team.”

Moises Aldape Chavez of Team Type 1, who was part of a three-man breakaway that lasted most the race and the last member to get reeled in before the final 7.5-mile circuit, was named most aggressive rider after the first day. The second stage of the seven-day event is a 112-mile road race from Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau.

Kahne pulls away to second win of year

2009-09-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Victory helps driver move from 11th to 6th in Chase standings

HAMPTON, Ga. - Kasey Kahne was clinging to his spot in the race for the Chase. He can breathe a little easier now.

Kahne greatly improved his hopes of making the season-ending Chase for the Championship with a victory Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, pulling away from Kevin Harvick after a fortunate yellow flag late in the race.

Kahne leaped five spots in the Sprint Cup standings — from a tenuous 11th to more comfortable sixth — by winning under the lights in the first Labor Day weekend race in Atlanta history.

Not that he’s ready to count himself in just yet. The 12-driver playoff field will be finalized Saturday night at Richmond, and those are the only ones who’ll have a shot at the Cup over the final 10 races.

So far, just four drivers have clinched a spot in the Chase. The next 10 spots are separated by a mere 122 points.

“It’s going to be intense,” Kahne said. “From fifth to 14th is going to be really intense at Richmond next week.”

Kevin Harvick, who won the Nationwide race Saturday night, was in position for a weekend double until teammate Clint Bowyer spun with 15 laps to go, bringing out the final caution of the night. Kahne got Harvick on the restart and pulled away to an easy 1.766-second win.

Harvick knew he was in trouble as soon as the yellow flag came out. So did his crew chief, Gil Martin, who swung his arms in disgust when he saw Bowyer’s car sliding through the grass in the trioval.

“We had a great car tonight,” Harvick said. “I knew we were in trouble there at the end because it took our car 15 or 20 laps to get going.”

He held on for second, matching his best performance in a disappointing season. Juan Pablo Montoya finished third and solidified his odds of making the Chase for the first time.

“We did it right at the end,” said Kahne, who picked up his second win of the year and 11th of his career. “We had an unbelievable car throughout the race. I think Kevin was the best on the long runs. We did it at the end.”

Denny Hamlin became the fourth driver to clinch a spot in the Chase with a sixth-place showing. Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson were already in.

Kahne is feeling a lot better about his chances, too.

“I knew Harvick and Montoya were going to be really tough there at the end,” Kahne said. “We just got them. We had a really good car for about 10 laps.”

There was no change among the top 12, though there was some shuffling in their order. Stewart still leads, followed by Gordon, Johnson, Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Kahne, Kurt Busch, Montoya, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Brian Vickers will go to Richmond 20 points behind Kenseth, with Kyle Busch 37 points out of a return to the Chase.

Montoya, the former IndyCar champion and Formula One driver, is hoping to make it for the first time in his three-year NASCAR career. As soon as he climbed from his car, he searched out a computer to see where he was in the standings heading to Richmond.

“It just makes life easier,” Montoya said. “In the position we are in right now, it’s just about going there — we have a great car for there — just be smart and get a top 10.”

Harvick has no chance of winning a championship. He’s 23rd in the points and has spent more time this season answering questions about his future with Richard Childress Racing.

“That’s a long way from where we’ve been,” said Harvick, whose other runner-up finish this season came way back in February at the season-opening Daytona 500.

The first scheduled night race at Atlanta and the new date was a big hit with the fans. At least 100,000 turned out on a comfortably warm night after years of declining attendance at the 1.54-mile track.

Johnson came into this race saying he’s never felt better heading into a Chase. He was probably feeling a little different after a miserable performance under the lights — 22 laps behind in 36th place.

Johnson was running second when he lost control of his No. 48 car coming out of turn two. He managed to control his slide, avoid the inside wall and get back to the pits for another set of tires, but the mishap knocked him all the way back to 19th. He was on the verge of getting back into the top 10 when a broken axle during a pit stop forced him back to the garage for repairs. With all chances of winning gone, he had to go back to the garage one more time to fix a balky gear box.

Edwards hobbled out to his car on crutches after breaking his right foot playing frisbee a few days earlier. His pedal foot didn’t give him any problem, but his night was ruined by a hole in his radiator. He had to go to the garage for lengthy repairs and wound up just behind Johnson in 37th.

Edwards won this race a year ago, one of nine victories on his way to a second-place finish in the season standings. He has yet to win this year but maybe that’s for the best — there’s no way he can do his customary victory celebration, a backflip off his No. 99 car with his ailing foot.

Kurt Busch, who won the spring race in Atlanta with a dominating run, didn’t come close to matching that performance. He struggled with an ill-handling car most of the night before finally slamming the wall coming out of turn four on lap 244 of 325. His night was done and he ended up 38th.

The crash also took out local favorite Reed Sorenson.

“We had a loose race car, and it kept getting loose,” Kurt Busch said. “We just couldn’t get a handle on it. I got sideways and Reed hit us. I’m sure he had no place to go. It was a real hard hit. That’s a bummer.”

At least he still has a spot in the Chase. Younger brother Kyle was hoping to get back in the mix with a strong run, but finishing 13th actually knocked him back one spot. Now, the pressure will really be on heading to Richmond — quite a change from a year ago when he was the leader going to the playoff.

Pole-sitter Martin Truex ran strong early on, leading three times for a race-high 68 laps. He was nowhere to be found at the end, struggling home in 26th.

U.S. Open a stage for young American talents

2009-09-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

Deep tournament runs by Oudin and Isner bode well for U.S. tennis

OPINION
By Tracy Austin
NBCSports.com contributor
updated 11:08 p.m. ET Sept. 6, 2009

Tracy Austin

Credit the boisterous pro-American crowd, the hard courts or just the experience gained throughout the long tennis season, but one thing is certain: players from the United States have enjoyed a wave of success at the U.S. Open this year.

While just six Americans (four men and two women) made it to the third round in New York in 2008, this year six American men and four women advanced that far in the tournament. And while the veteran U.S. players — Serena and Venus Williams, Andy Roddick and James Blake — were all part of that group, this year’s Open also proved to be a great showcase for less established American talent.

Perhaps the biggest star to emerge is 17-year-old Melanie Oudin. Although she first burst onto the scene by upsetting Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon this summer, it is in front of the New York fans that the Georgia teen has blossomed with stunning wins over No. 4 Elena Dementieva and No. 29 Maria Sharapova.

In both of those matches, there were many times where Oudin could have folded beneath the pressure of the situation and the talent of her opponent. Against Sharapova in the third round, Oudin couldn't convert on a number of decisive points in the second set. She never showed any negativity, however. Aided by some less than stellar serving by Sharapova, Oudin collected herself and ultimately evened the match at one set each.

Many other players, including those with much more experience than Oudin, wouldn't have been able to sustain that mental toughness. Even players currently in the top 10 often struggle with nerves and pressure.

The fact that Oudin is so successful in that regard bodes well for her continued success. Her on-court skills can continue to be refined, but mental tenacity is something that most champions have innately.

What Oudin lacks in size (she’s generously listed as 5-foot-6), she makes up for in speed and perseverance. While a powerful serve and good forehand are generally regarded as some of the most potent weapons a player can possess, Oudin shows it is possible to excel by running down virtually every return and forcing her opponent to hit more shots. She doesn't produce as much firepower as other women on Tour, but the way she handled some of the blasts from Sharapova shows that she can neutralize the power game.

Video

Ooos for tennis' Oudin
Sept. 6: Msnbc's Alex Witt speaks with 17-year-old tennis sensation Melanie Oudin.

msnbc tv
Oudin is now the third-ranked American on the WTA Tour behind Serena and Venus Williams and gives the United States another player who really can do some damage in big tournaments. Just four to six weeks ago she was focused on trying to get into the U.S. Open and worrying about whether she might need tournament wildcard entries. Now look how far she’s come. As she gains experience, Oudin should become an even stronger competitor.

Cars of the Future - What Can We Expect?

2009-09-07T03:52:00.000-07:00

Fast forward to the next thirty years and you can let your imagination run wild, thinking about cars of the future. For one thing, the future car will be equipped with a lot of features and gadgets and probably be totally crash proof. There will definitely be some unusual designs and styles, in tune with all the innovative concepts.
One major trend that is likely to continue long into the future is fuel-efficient hybrid cars that use both a petrol engine and an electric engine. There are cars that are beginning to use fuel cells to run, and these emit water, not CO2.

Features We Can Look Forward To In Cars of the Future

One thing is guaranteed – cars of the future will definitely appeal to the technology freak, or the geek, or both!

Computer controlled cars seem to be on the cards, but how practical they will turn out to be remains to be seen. GPS or global positioning systems will become a standard feature in cars. An advanced version can help track cars, particularly stolen cars.
We might see keyless entry systems for cars of the future. No more fumbling around for keys or misplacing them. We can expect to see every car fitted out with an appropriately sized and positioned video display screen and surround sound systems. Space saving MP4 technology will allow you to store more media in your car.

We can expect better sound systems, multiple headphone sockets and more radio stations to listen to simultaneously. Cars will have Internet capability, connectivity, and work along with the GPS system to tell you the best route to take, taking into account traffic jams.

More safety features will be added. Airbags will be used more. Maybe we will see reusable airbags. There will be sensors to let you know in advance how to avoid an accident. Present day cars like the Audi, Cadillac, Honda, Citroen, etc. already have sensors. While the Audi’s sensors monitor wet road conditions, Cadillac has optional infrared night vision.

We can expect a range of innovative environmentally friendly materials to be used both on the body of the car and the upholstery. We are already seeing carbon fiber bodies in expensive cars like the Pagani Zonda, Mercedes Benz and Saleen – this will become more common in streetcars.
As for fuel, we are already hearing about the hydrogen fuel cell and hybrid technology, and in Japan they are talking about running cars on Sake, the national drink of Japan (fermented rice wine).

Back From The Future: So Which Cars Can We Expect To See In The Next Five Years?

Honda

The new Honda Accord is expected to debut in showrooms by the end of 2007 or by early 2008. This car will be more efficient and powerful. As a top-selling car in the US, the new Honda Accord looks good with large wheels and is a large car. The range has a new Accord Coupe. The engine will be an improved version of the 3.5-liter V6. This car is likely to be offered as a diesel option as well as with a hybrid option.

Mercedes-Benz

Next comes the Mercedes Benz’ new SLR McLaren Roadster. Whizzing at 207 mph with the cloth convertible top lowered is something else. The Roadster will be in the market by fall 2007, sporting a 617 hp 5.5 liter AMG V8 engine.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster

The cloth top goes up and down in about 10 seconds flat and you have a choice of three colors. The body is carbon fiber with an arrow shaped nose with lateral louvers, side pipes behind the front wheels, gull wing doors, and airbrake in the trunk lid. The diffuser is in the rear bumper. Mercedes-Benz also has a C-class vehicle slated for release in 2008.

Ford

Ford’s Fiesta subcompact is expected in the US in 2009 with an earlier launch in Europe in 2008. The US model will be the same as the Europe model, with a trapezoidal grille below the license plate instead of the rectangular three bar chrome grille. The focus is on a strong but lightweight car that is crash safe with fuel efficiency. The engine is a 1.6-liter engine.

2008 Ford Fiesta

BMW

BMW offers its 7 series in 2009, built with smaller wraparound headlamps and some distinctive new sheet metal changes. The Chevrolet Malibu will be out in 2008 as a four-door version with three engine choices, including a hybrid version. This mid sized car is sleekly designed with a good engine.
The BMW 1 series – new four door sedans will be in the showrooms in late 2008.

Porsche

The Porsche Panamera may provide competition for the BMW M5 and the Mercedes CLS63 AMG with a redesigned engine that goes quietly under the car’s roof.

Other cars you can look forward to seeing are the Alfa Romeo BC – a good-looking coupe style with a 450 hp engine and a carbon fiber body. The Audi A5 and the Volkswagen Passat R36 are also lined up for release in a few months. We will also be seeing the Toyota Prius Gen 3, Ford models, Chevy Volt concept, etc.

Chrysler Group Celebrates 20 Years of Modern Concept Vehicles

2009-09-07T03:46:00.000-07:00

“Concept to reality” has become a term that epitomizes the Chrysler Group design philosophy, and many observers are hoping that it will apply to the company’s concept vehicles for 2007. Chrysler Group’s latest concept vehicles clearly demonstrate a design tradition that has become a key strength of the company: an ability to design the coolest-of-cool concepts, which are as relevant as they are innovative.
This approach started with the Frankfurt Motor Show reveal of the Lamborghini-engined, cab forward-styled, four-door Chrysler Portofino concept sedan in 1987. Almost 20 years and more than 100 concepts later, this continuous development has helped Chrysler Group reinvent and maintain its reputation as a car company driven by design and engineering.

Concept vehicles have two major roles for the Chrysler Group: they showcase to management, the media and the public the potential future design direction for Chrysler Group cars and trucks, and they help to attract the best young designers in the world into its design studios.

Chrysler Group’s concept vehicle program allows designers to test new colors, features, vehicle size and segments. Concepts can also be showcases for new design cues, which often find their way into production on future vehicles – even if the entire concept vehicle does not.

Importantly, the designs that are revealed to acclaim and accolade at auto shows around the world each year are not just built to look good. That is where the company’s design-to-reality tradition really kicks in.

Not only does Chrysler Group produce concept vehicles that can actually be driven – especially by journalists for feedback and publicity purposes – but many ultimately become production vehicles within a few years of their first reveal. The latest example is the Dodge Challenger. First revealed as a concept at the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, it was announced that the Challenger will go into production in 2008.

According to Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Product Design Office, Chrysler Group, We’ve always said at Chrysler that we don’t just produce concepts for fun. We have proved year after year that our concepts are innovative and relevant.

Our track record shows that many Chrysler Group concepts, and several of the design features showcased on our concept vehicles, have gone into production, he added. “While we can’t say yet if any of our 2007 concepts will eventually be seen in our showrooms, they clearly hint at exciting and innovative future design directions that could find their way into our company’s products.”

2007 Concept Vehicles

This year’s group of concept vehicles includes one for each of the Chrysler Group’s brands. Combining refinement, function and style, the Chrysler Nassau concept explores a new expression of the Chrysler brand. First shown at the 2007 NAIAS, the four-door, four-passenger Nassau luxury coupe is a more emotional and artistic articulation of what it means to be a Chrysler.

The Jeep® Trailhawk, which also had its premiere at the 2007 NAIAS, merges the spectrum of the Jeep brand by combining the core off-road features of the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with the refined sophistication of an all-new on-road, open-air concept vehicle, providing a unique and fresh expression for Jeep.

The Dodge Demon is a compact, nimble “roadster with an attitude” – a perfect balance of classic sports car proportion and simplicity blended with modern design and performance. The vehicle is designed to be an affordable Dodge sports car that merges brand cues of bold design and powerful performance with an open-air “fun-to-drive” attitude. This concept had its debut at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show.

Twenty Years of Modern Concept Vehicles

The Chrysler Group has a long history of innovation in design and engineering, going back even as far as the first 1924 Chrysler sedan. In the modern era, since 1988, the company has created more than 100 concept vehicles in a variety of shapes, sizes, configurations and materials.

1988
Chrysler Portofino
Plymouth Slingshot

1989
Chrysler Millennium
Dodge Dakota Sport V-8
Dodge Intrepid
Dodge Viper RT/10
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Jeep Z5 Concept 1
Plymouth Speedster
Plymouth Voyager III

1990
Dodge Daytona RT
Dodge LRT
Eagle Optima
Jeep Freedom

1991
Chrysler 300M
Dodge Neon
Jeep Wagoneer 2000

1992
Chrysler Cirrus
Dodge Epic

1993
Chrysler Patriot
Chrysler Thunderbolt
Jeep Ecco
Plymouth Prowler

1994
Chrysler Pacifica
Dodge Aviat
Dodge Ram VTS
Dodge Venom
Dodge Viper GTS Coupe
Eagle Vision Aerie
Plymouth Expresso

1995
Chrysler Atlantic
Eagle Jazz
Plymouth Back Pack

1996
Chrysler Composite Concept Vehicle
Chrysler LHX
Dodge Intrepid ESX

1997
Chrysler Phaeton
Dodge Concept
Dodge Sidewinder
Dodge T-Rex
Jeep Cherokee Casablanca
Jeep Dakar
Jeep Icon
Jeep Wrangler Tabasco
Jeep Wrangler Ultimate Rescue
Plymouth Pronto

1998
Chrysler Chronos
Dodge Big Red Truck
Dodge Intrepid ESX2
Jeep Jeepster
Plymouth Pronto Cruiser
Plymouth Pronto Spyder

1999
Chrysler Citadel
Dodge Charger R/T
Dodge Power Wagon
Jeep Commander
Jeep Journey

2000
Chrysler 300 Hemi® C
Chrysler GT Cruiser
Chrysler Java
Chrysler Panel Cruiser
Dodge ESX3
Dodge MAXX cab
Dodge Neon SRT
Dodge Viper GTS/R
Jeep Varsity
Plymouth Howler

2001
Chrysler Crossfire
Dodge Powerbox
Dodge Super8 Hemi
Jeep Willys

2002
Chrysler California Cruiser
Chrysler Pacifica
Dodge M80
Dodge Razor
Jeep Compass
Jeep Willys

2003
Chrysler Airflite
Chrysler 300C
Dodge Avenger
Dodge Durango
Dodge Kahuna
Dodge Magnum
Dodge Tomahawk
Jeep Treo

2004
Chrysler ME Four-Twelve
Dodge Sling Shot
Jeep Rescue

2005
Chrysler Akino
Chrysler Firepower
Dodge Caliber
Dodge Nitro
Jeep Compass
Jeep Gladiator
Jeep Hurricane
Jeep Patriot

2006
Chrysler Imperial
Dodge Avenger
Dodge Challenger
Dodge Hornet

2007
Chrysler Nassau
Dodge Demon
Jeep Trailhawk

Source: Chrysler

ING Renault F1 Team star Heikki Kovalainen opens first ever F1 Second Life experience

2009-09-07T03:21:00.000-07:00

ING Renault F1 Team driver Heikki Kovalainen officially launched the ING Renault Team's presence in Second Life® today, becoming the first F1 Team to have fully interactive Second Life presence. The launch was marked by the first ever live 'virtual' Formula 1 press conference held entirely 'in world' in Second Life, with media and fans in attendance.
After completing his first Second Life® experience, Heikki Kovalainen said: “It’s been fascinating to take part in the press conference today, and to discover the virtual world of Second Life®. As an F1 driver, I am used to speaking to the press a lot, and even to big real-life media conferences, but this was something completely different!

“Obviously, the Second Life® project is all about finding a new way to meet the fans, and to give them access to the Formula 1 experience. This seems like a great way to do it, allowing people from all across the world to come together in one place, to discuss their passion for our sport. It is really in line with everything else that the ING Renault F1 Team does to try and take our sport out to the people: events like the city demonstration Roadshow I will be taking part in next weekend in Warsaw, for example.

”I will be really interested to see how the community develops on the team’s island, and I am sure I will be making more visits to Second Life in the future!”

The Finn completed a 15-minute Q&A session with Second Life journalists and fans, before taking part in the first official go-kart race on the island’s circuit – which, naturally, he won comfortably!

The island will open to the public on Friday, 25 May as the ING Renault F1 Team community on Second Life® begins to grow.

Source: Renault

Porsche Presents Space Concept of the New Panamera

2009-09-07T01:48:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is for the first time presenting the innovative interior concept of the company’s fourth model series. Right from the start upon the introduction of the Panamera beginning in Germany on 12 September 2009, the Panamera will be available in its top versions with a V8 power unit and luxurious features.
Boasting a centre console leading back all the way from the dashboard to the rear seats, Porsche’s four-door Gran Turismo offers a new feeling of space and driving quality on all four seats. The interior provides optimum ergonomic conditions for the driver and, in addition, accentuates the personal privacy of each passenger on four single seats tailored to each occupant. The low seating position and the sporting, low-slung steering wheel ensure that direct feeling for the road so typical of Porsche.

Apart from these classic values, the Panamera offers the customer numerous options and possibilities to customise the interior individually to his or her personal choice, smooth and natural leather available in a total of 13 colour and material combinations including four bi-colour options teaming up wherever required with seven optional interior trim finish styles including exclusive materials such as Carbon and Olive Nature open-pore wood.

Four-zone automatic air conditioning is available as an option, providing individual adjustment of temperature, blower intensity and air distribution on each seat.

The driver and passengers in the new Panamera are protected by driver and front passenger airbags, curtain airbags as well as – on the front seats – side and knee airbags all ensuring maximum safety as standard features in the event of an accident. Side airbags are furthermore available at the rear as an optional feature.

The comfort seats featured as standard at the front of the Panamera S and 4S are extra-sporting in style and adjust electrically in eight different directions for excellent travel comfort at all times. At the rear two single seats with a folding centre armrest ensure generous legroom and headroom also for tall passengers.

The Panamera Turbo combines electrical seat adjustment with a Comfort Memory Package offering not only extension of the seat bottom, but also lumbar supports and electrical steering column adjustment. Further alternatives such as adaptive sports seats or comfort seats at the rear electrically adjustable to a wide range of different positions are likewise available as an option.

The new Panamera is the first Porsche to offer the most supreme standard of high-end audio quality, the High-End Surround Sound System from the Berlin audio specialist Burmester, one of the most renowned high-end audio companies in the world. Never before has such a large, acoustically effective surface of membranes been included in the concept from the start and subsequently implemented in the actual production vehicle. More than 2,400 square centimetres of sound membranes offer an experience in sound very similar to that of a live concert. In all, 16 loudspeakers masterminded by 16 amplifier channels with more than 1,000 W overall output provide a unique sound rounded off by an active subwoofer together with a 300 W Class D amplifier.

The superior everyday driving qualities of the Panamera are borne out clearly also by the luggage compartment and loading concept: After opening the rear lid, the driver and passengers are able to conveniently stow four suitcases behind the rear seats – putting them into the luggage compartment in an upright position for easy access thanks to the height available.

Luggage compartment capacity in the Panamera S and 4S is 445 litres or 15.6 cu ft, luggage compartment capacity in the Panamera Turbo is 432 litres or 15.1 cu ft – and with the rear seat backrests tilted down, luggage capacity increases to an ample 1,250 litres or 43.8 cu ft.

The Panamera is initially entering the market with V8 power units only, featuring either rear or all-wheel drive. Right from the start, the entry-level Panamera S is powered by a 4.8-litre V8 developing maximum output of 400 bhp (294 kW). Power is transmitted to the rear wheels as an option by Porsche’s seven-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) or double-clutch gearbox.

Acceleration to 100 km/h comes in 5.4 seconds, top speed is 283 km/h or 176 mph. Combined fuel consumption to the EU5 standard, in turn, is 10.8 ltr/100 km, equal to 26.2 mpg imp, and the CO2 emission rating is 253 g/km.

In conjunction with PDK transmission and including both 19 per cent VAT and specific national equipment, the Panamera S retails in Germany at a price of Euro 98,085.50.

Fitted with its six-speed manual gearbox as standard, the Panamera S retails at a price of Euro 94,575, again including 19 per cent VAT and all national homologation features.

The dynamic Panamera 4S features a 4.8-litre V8 developing 400 bhp (294 kW) maximum output, with engine power conveyed to all four wheels via Porsche’s seven-speed PDK Doppelkupplungsgetriebe. In this case acceleration to 100 km/h comes in 5.0 seconds, top speed is 282 km/h or 175 mph. Fuel consumption to the EU5 standard is 11.1 ltr/100 km, equal to 25.4 mpg imp, CO2 emissions are 260 g/km. The retail price including 19 per cent VAT and national specifications is Euro 102,251.

Ranking right at the top, the Panamera Turbo features a 4.8-litre V8 biturbo developing maximum output of 500 bhp (368 kW), with power transmitted again by Porsche’s seven-gear Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK). In this case this all-wheel-drive model accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 303 km/h or 188 mph. Fuel consumption in the EU combined cycle is 12.2 ltr/100 km, equal to 23.2 mpg imp, CO2 emissions are 286 g/km. The retail price of the Panamera Turbo, finally, including 19 per cent VAT and national specifications, is Euro 135,154.

All models come with Direct Fuel Injection, low-friction drive systems and lightweight bodyshells. And at the same time all models in the range fitted with Porsche PDK Doppelkupplungsgetriebe feature Porsche’s new Auto Start Stop function automatically switching off the engine when coming to a standstill and with the driver pressing down the brake pedal – for example at the traffic lights or in traffic congestion.

Source: Porsche

Tesla to be Profitable by Mid Year

2009-09-07T01:23:00.000-07:00

Although extraordinarily difficult to close, the $40M financing round completed in December was twice the amount Tesla needed to reach profitability. Moving forward two months later, we remain on track with our cost reductions and production ramp, so it appears highly likely that Tesla will meet the goal promised to those investors of becoming profitable by mid year.
The main reason for this confidence is that Tesla is already in the fortunate position of being sold out until early November, something few automakers can claim, and will soon be sold out of all 2009 production. While we have had some cancellations due to buyers experiencing personal financial difficulties, new orders continue to flow in every week from the United States and Europe. We have now produced over 200 Roadsters for customers and there are more than 1,000 customers still awaiting delivery.

Due to our order backlog, it seems that owning a Roadster can be a good investment. Last September, as the financial and real estate markets began crashing, a Roadster was sold at the Sonoma Paradiso in California wine country for $160,000, well above the current list price of $109,000. Many Roadster owners who have taken delivery of their cars have already decided to purchase a second Roadster or Roadster Sport because they like the first one so much.

The continued strong demand is driven by the fact that the Tesla Roadster has no direct competitors in the marketplace. It is faster than almost any sports car on the market (our Roadster beat a Porsche GT3 on the Top Gear test track) and yet uses less energy and has a smaller carbon footprint than a Toyota Prius, even if you assume the worst possible case where all electricity comes from coal.

I expect sales demand to strengthen further as this awareness grows. After all, what’s the point of driving another exotic sports car when it is slower than a Tesla and damages the environment? Already, the Tesla Roadster is the car of choice among the technology, business and Hollywood A lists – this year’s Academy Awards will be a lineup of Teslas – and we have never had to give a discount to anyone.

Many customers also appreciate the fact that profit from their purchase goes towards helping Tesla develop more affordable, mass market electric cars. The same cannot be said for those who buy gas-guzzling sports cars from other automakers.

And owners aren’t the only ones impressed with the Roadster. Road & Track was the first auto enthusiast magazine to perform third-party, instrumented testing on the Roadster; they were “pleased to see its extravagant claims confirmed.” The Washington Post’s Warren Brown gushed, “Wheeeeeee! If this is the future of the automobile, I want it.” Dan Neil of the Los Angeles Times had perhaps the most colorful description we’ve ever seen to describe the Roadster’s scorching acceleration: “God has grabbed me by the jockstrap and fired me off his thumb, rubber band-style. Wow.” And we’ve also had a torrent of positive reviews in Europe, where deliveries begin this summer – including a Le Monde story with our favorite headline: “Le chic électrique.”

Source: Tesla

Caparo T1 2009 launch at Salon Privé

2009-09-07T01:16:00.001-07:00

Caparo T1, the fastest performance super car available, is set to make its debut at Salon Privé on 12th February 2009 at London’s Hurlingham Club. The prestigious event will also be used to announce the T1’s 2009 programme.
True to form this year’s Salon Privé, the UK’s ultimate Super Car and Lifestyle Event, will once again attract a number of high profile guests with its promise of getting up, close and personal with the most exotic modern and vintage super cars in the world. Held in the luxurious and exclusive environment of the Hurlingham Club, the show is regarded by many as London’s favourite motoring party because of its mixture of fashion, style, luxury and automotive haute couture.

Caparo T1, the two-seater performance car that recently took the racing world by storm, will occupy centre stage during the event and is expected to attract a high level of interest. Alongside the car’s distinctive profile, information will also be available on its five new levels of specifications; stating from the most cost effective race track option, to its Race Extreme version, boasting the T1’s most powerful engine, a upgraded electronics package, fully carbon brakes and the latest light weight magnesium wheels.

The Caparo team will shortly be unveiling the brand new partnership with one of the most reputed prestigious car dealerships in the country. The agreement will see Caparo concentrating on the continued development of the T1 and associated technologies with the continued evolution of the car’s driving experience and pushing further its track and on-the-road performance. The chosen Caparo partner is going to take control of the super car’s sales, marketing and after sales service.

Source: Caparo

Vauxhall: The Wheels of Britain

2009-09-07T01:09:00.000-07:00

With almost five million post-war passenger cars produced, mainly for the domestic market, Vauxhall can lay claim to have been ‘The Wheels of Britain’ for more than sixty years now.
And fresh from its recent UK dealer launch, the Insignia – with its raft of innovative features in this sector, such as Adaptive 4x4, Intelligent AFL and FlexRide – can trace its lineage to a host of other D-sector Vauxhalls that British drivers have taken to heart over the years.

Inspired by a 1959 press shot with Vauxhall’s model line-up posing on the virgin concrete of a yet to be opened M1 (attached), the main image was taken on the High Speed Bowl at GM’s Millbrook test facility in Bedfordshire.

With Vauxhall’s D-sector stars flanking the Insignia in a V-formation, the 1959 PA Velox (to right of Insignia) is the oldest and has perhaps the most radical styling of all. With its lavish chrome-plated grille, tail fins and wrap-round windscreen, the PA became a benchmark for ride quality and style in the market. You could also spec it in pink!

Fins had had their day by the Sixties, though the Victor F-Type’s styling and turn of speed were still a breath of fresh air in a market that had grown used to dowdy looking and under-performing rivals in the 1.5-litre engine class. Vauxhall built nearly 400,000 F-Types, many of which contributed to Britain’s export drive.

Victors continued to spearhead Vauxhall’s mid-size strategy through the Sixties, with the evergreen FC (’64-’67) and the ’67-’72 FD, with its ‘Coke-bottle styling’, new overhead cam engine and standard front disc brakes on the 2.0-litre version. More than 400,000 FCs and FDs rolled off the Luton production line.

Vauxhall was now riding a colossal wave of success. In the eight years since its opening, the Ellesmere Port plant had produced one million Vivas, and Vauxhall’s mid-size range was now rejuvenated with the launch of the new FE Victor. But a revolution was on the horizon… and it was Cavalier-shaped.

Between 1975 and 1995, Vauxhall produced over 1.9 million Cavaliers, mainly at its Luton factory. The Cavalier Mk 1’s quality instantly became a class benchmark, and with three engine choices and four body styles available it appealed to a broader audience than ever before.

While a quarter-of-a-million Cavalier Mk 1s were produced up to 1981, the Cavalier Mk 2 with its front-wheel drive platform and the addition of an estate model (from 1983) was an even bigger success. Vauxhall estimated that it would sell 50,000 cars a year, but after only nine months’ production, 70,000 cars had found UK homes. From 1998, the Mk 3 rounded off Cavalier production, while spawning a 4x4 model (technology now employed by the Insignia) and the stylish Calibra, with its class-leading Cd figure of 0.26.

Replacing the Cavalier in 1995 was the Vectra, which in its three guises has sold to almost 550,000 UK buyers. And with 15,000 Insignia orders already on its books, it looks like Vauxhall has yet another success story on its hands.

Source: Vauxhall

Loeb takes 49th WRC victory with Norway win

2009-09-07T00:27:00.000-07:00

Sébastien Loeb claimed his 49th World Rally Championship victory in Norway at the weekend as he won a thrilling battle with rival Mikko Hirvonen. With his first win on the event, five-times World Champion Loeb now stands just one win away from becoming the first rally driver ever to claim 50 victories at the highest level.
After securing the opening Rally of 2009 in Ireland, Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena ran at the head of the field from day one but, despite the disadvantage of being the first cars to sweep away the loose snow on each stage, they managed to stay out front throughout the weekend.

Entering the final day with just 15 seconds’ advantage, Loeb lost five seconds to Hirvonen on the first stage before gaining six seconds back on the next. The two drivers then traded fastest times throughout the rest of the day and, with Loeb quickest in the final stage, victory went to the Citroën Total team.

"Mentally, this has been a very tough rally,” said Loeb, who now holds a six-point lead in the championship. “It got very tense when I learnt that Mikko had narrowed the gap on this morning's first stage but we didn't ease up, even if that did mean having one or two hairy moments! Going into the last stage, I knew that even a small mistake would ruin all the hard work we have put in this weekend. Everything turned out well, however, and it's great to have won this rally for the first time."

After coming second in Ireland, Loeb’s team-mate Dani Sordo and co-driver Marc Marti finished fifth in their C4 WRC and helped to maintain Citroën’s 10-point lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship. Driving an independent, three-year-old Citroën Xsara for the first time in the WRC, 2003 Champion Petter Solberg finished an impressive sixth.

The next rally will be on the third different surface of the year, the gravel-based Rally Cyprus from 13-15 March.

Final leaderboard on Rally Norway*
1. S. Loeb/D. Elena (Citroën C4) 3h28min15.9s
2. M. Hirvonen/J. Lehtinen (Ford Focus) +9.8s
3. J-M. Latvala /M. Anttila (Ford Focus) +1min 21.8s
4. H. Solberg/C. Menkerud (Ford Focus) +3min 33.5s
5. D. Sordo/M. Marti (Citroën C4) +3min 52.0s
6. P. Solberg/P. Mills (Citroën Xsara) +6min 25.4s

FIA World Rally Championship Manufacturer Standings after round 2 of 12*
1st Citroën Total WRT, 32 pts; 2nd BP Ford Abu Dhabi, 22 points; 3rd Stobart VK M-Sport, 16 pts; 4th Citroën Junior Team, 7 pts.

FIA World Rally Championship Driver Standings after round 2 of 12*
1st S. Loeb, 20 pts; 2nd M. Hirvonen, 14 pts; 3rd D. Sordo, 12 points; 4th H. Solberg, 10 pts; 5th J-M Latvala, 6 pts; 6th C. Atkinson, 4 pts.

Prepare the beach balls: Cloutier will try out for Red Wings

2009-09-05T17:38:00.001-07:00

The news that 33-year-old Dan Cloutier(notes) will be attending Detroit Red Wings training camp on a tryout is glorious for two reasons: As an opportunity to resurrect the Cloutier/beach ball Photoshop, one of the single greatest hockey memes since the invention of the Internet ...

... and also to witness the reaction from Wings fans as one of the most maligned players in recent NHL history -- how many others players had their own disaster preparedness kit? -- will potentially wear the Winged Wheel this season. From Babcock's Death Stare:

Personally, I don't think I've ever made fun of a goalie more than Dan Cloutier, as our friend at Dan Cloutier for Vezina will probably attest to after I post this. It's not that I hate the guy per say, I'm sure at one point I did, but he does suck. I always felt he was the weakest link on some average to strong Canuck teams. During the glory days of the Naslund/Bertuzzi tandem, Cloutier held them back with his soft goals, poor mental game, and well below average goaltending ability.

But from a managing standpoint I absolutely hate it.

(Kyle from Death Stare also has a great conspiracy theory: "That the NHL might have sent out a memo telling teams to invite a player to camp as a joke." See: Jason Allison in Toronto, Manny Legace(notes) in Atlanta and Kyle McLaren(notes) with the Rangers.)

The Chief from Abel To Yzerman has much more on this in a post that has the word "vomit" in the headline. It's been an odd summer for Wings fans after their team fell short in its Stanley Cup defense: Seeing Marian Hossa(notes) jump to the Blackhawks, watching some key supporting players leave, stomaching the signing of Todd Bertuzzi, questioning the signing of Jason Williams and then having Dan Cloutier bring his beach ball to camp.

But Cloutier isn't making this team unless Jimmy Howard(notes) implodes; and even then, it can only make Chris Osgood(notes) play better to know that Dan Cloutier is the alternative, right?

In Jersey, they have a saying: "In Lou We Trust." As long as it's the brilliant Ken Holland making these decisions in Detroit, you put your faith in them as being the right ones. For example: Maybe, in bringing Cloutier to camp, he's just looking for an enforcer.

Game Point: McEnroe and Connors make return to U.S. Open

2009-09-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

Game Point is Busted Racquet's daily roundup of the facts, figures and links from the 2009 U.S. Open.

Is it too cliché to say that you cannot be serious?

A quarter-century after their last match at the U.S. Open, former rivals John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors were back on the court together in New York City for an impromptu hitting session at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Even better, they played using the old school wooden racquets.

It was an unexpected treat for the few fans who were able to witness just the second hitting session for the one-time bad boys in the last few years.

The usual crowd of about 200 fans that gathers near the exit of the practice courts, looking for players and autographs, started buzzing when it became clear there was something more than routine going on out there.

Indeed, this was a rare treat. McEnroe said it was only the second time they had hit in the last several years. They were only hitting - no big competition going on here - but it was still a treat to hear McEnroe grunt when he uncoiled for that big serve, then see Connors scoot inside the line to return it with his patented two-handed backhand.

On ESPN later that day, McEnroe spoke of how much he enjoyed rallying with his old rival:

"Jimmy just hits the ball so clean it's unbelievable. It stirs some nice memories --- mostly good, but there's a couple ones that roughed me up a bit."

The two played against each other four times (all semifinals) at the U.S. Open. Connors won the first meeting in 1978 and McEnroe took the next three in 1979, 1980 and 1984. The winner went on to take the title in each of those years.

Game Day Live Blog: Week One kickoff is go

2009-09-05T17:31:00.001-07:00

I'm as interested today in solving a few select mysteries as I am in the big blockbuster affairs: Will Syracuse and Washington be appreciably better with their new coaches? Is Greg Paulus a functional Division I quarterback after four years wasting time in random gyms? Is Notre Dame's blue chip-laden offense finally ready for its close-up? Is Greg McElroy a competent coordinator for the burgeoning Alabama death machine? Today, some answers.

What: Game day live blog. All games in play and all comments welcome.
When: First kick at noon Eastern; chat kicks roughly simultaneously. The blog will run throughout the day, through at least the primetime tilts; midnight oil for the really late kicks is a game time decision.
Who: You and all your rowdy friends. Come loud and proud.
How: Hit "Watch Now," enter comments into the available box and do your part to accelerate the slow, agonizing death of conventional journalism.
Why: Because dropping strategic bombs filled with snark and satire on earnest adolescents never gets old. Football!!

Big Ten still (relatively) golden after great noon escapes

2009-09-05T17:26:00.001-07:00

One-touchdown favorite Minnesota trailed Syracuse with less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter. Three-touchdown favorite Ohio State allowed three second half touchdown drives to Navy and faced a two-point conversion from the Midshipmen to tie with a little over two minutes to play. Iowa, such a colossal favorite over I-AA Northern Iowa that there wasn't even a line, trailed most of the game and faced a game-winning UNI field goal attempt with seconds to play. During the timeout between the Navy's touchdown to make the score 29-27 and the two-point attempt to tie, there was a strong possibility all three Big Ten favorites would lose.

Instead, they go 3-0: Minnesota embarked on one of its only sustained drives of the game to tie and then kick the game-winner in overtime after a gift interception from 'Cuse QB Greg Paulus; Ohio State picked off Navy's inscrutable two-point pass and took it back for two of its own; and Iowa blocked not one, but two Northern Iowa field goals to win. Combined margin of victory: Eight points. Avoiding humiliating defeats that would fuel the torches of your conference's seemingly endless parade of critics? Priceless.

And in fact, the Big Ten hasn't lost yet this season: With Indiana's late escape against Eastern Kentucky on Thursday night and predictable romps by Penn State, Purdue, Michigan State and Northwestern over opening day cupcakes, the conference is 8-0 with Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin still to come. I guess that means it's shaping up as a banner weekend.

Why must Greg Paulus hurt the ones who love him?

2009-09-05T17:22:00.001-07:00

Minnesota 23, Syracuse 20. After all the indignities and standing misery of the Greg Robinson era, I'm not sure even longtime Orange fans thought it was possible for their football team to inflict an entirely new kind of pain on them. Know ye the cruelties of optimism, Syracuse.

On one hand, the vast majority of the day felt like a triumph. It would have been really easy for 'Cuse to revert to habit and do what everyone watching did when the first snap of the game sailed over Greg Paulus' head, bounced into the arms of a Gopher defender and wound up in the end zone two plays later for a 7-0 Minnesota lead: Hang its head, text they're friends "Here we go again" and start counting the losses on the rest of the schedule. Even Robinson's rock-bottom outfits rarely found themselves down before the shot clock ran out, and morale could have sunk even lower when the Gophers went up 14-3 a couple minutes later.

Instead, they ran off 20 straight points before the end of the first half and forced Minnesota into five punts and three turnovers going into the fourth quarter. For some context, Syracuse never averaged 20 points for a season under Robinson, and almost never held opposing offenses two entire quarters without a touchdown. At halftime, the Carrier Dome was legitimately rocking; even well into the fourth quarter, they looked destined to go over .500 for the first time since starting 3-2 in September 2006 -- right up until prodigal quarterback Greg Paulus decided to stick a whole new variety of dagger in their balloon.

As near as he was to walking out of the Carrier Dome the conquering hero, Paulus was playing with fire all afternoon: He regularly scrambled around and reversed field in the backfield like he was still in high school, threw across his body on the run and should have had at least three ill-timed passes picked off in regulation. It shouldn't have been a surprise, then, that all three caught up with him on the defining, devastating play of the afternoon, the wildly ill-advised overtime pass into a pack of Gophers in the end zone that effectively ended the game -- from there, Minnesota's game-winning kick was a mere formality.

Eventually, 'Cuse fans will probably feel okay about this game, maybe better than Minnesota fans who had to wonder where their offense disappeared to for two-and-a-half quarters --- the Orange may have been outgained by almost 100 yards for the game, but the first step in emerging from the depths is losing close instead of losing big. It's safe to say Marrone made good on his promise to make the team more competitive right away. Paulus played fairly well for a guy who hasn't worn a helmet or pads in a game in almost five years. But I still wouldn't want to be him after sending that whole beleaguered building through a trap door at the last possible moment.

Notre Dame's offensive outburst is no surprise. Michigan's was.

2009-09-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Michigan 31, Western Michigan 7, Notre Dame 35, Nevada 0. It wasn't hard to see Notre Dame's offense coming: ND's offense is stacked with blue chips in their second or third year in the system at every position, and one of the most veteran offensive lines in the country; every indication on paper was that these Irish would evolve into something very similar to the consistently productive, star-laden lineup in Charlie Weis' first two seasons. I even predicted the Irish would score on their first possession, and so they did, and on their second, and on their third -- five of their first six drives went for touchdowns, covering 67, 72, 79, 80 and 99 yards.

For Michigan ... well, for Michigan, there were no indications of anything -- even with every member of a bad offensive line and almost every skill player en tow, an alleged quarterback shuffle between two true freshmen and a nonviable junior paperweight shrouded the entire operation in mystery. Intangibly, there was the quasi-scandal of the past week and the lingering sting of two straight opening-day home upsets.

So no fans tonight are breathing sweeter sighs of relief than Michigan's, and no coach improved his position in one day as much as Rich Rodriguez. The freshmen couldn't have played their roles more effectively: Tate Forcier threw three touchdown passes in the first half -- two of them relatively long throws to Junior Hemingway -- with no interceptions , and Denard Robinson did his "Next Pat White" thing with a 43-yard touchdown run. Michigan had touchdown drives of 52, 38, 68 and 80, all in the first half, for 31 points. Last year's Wolverines only scored 31 points in an entire game once, in a loss to Purdue, and that was with a punt return for touchdown.

The caveats in both cases are the suspect defenses from Nevada and Western Michigan, especially the latter, which came in with 10 new starters. But there are no negatives for programs that needed the kind of big, convincing wins they used to consider as routine, or where the hype for next week's game in Ann Arbor is concerned: The Irish scraped their projected ceiling coming in, and Michigan busted a hole in theirs. And speaking of ceilings and roofs, he expectations for next week's winner will be through them both.

Your Flop of the Day (so far): Illinois is not turning a corner

2009-09-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

Missouri 37, Illinois 9. There were three keys to Illinois reversing last year's tailspin and returning to the '07 form that took them to the Rose Bowl: a) Winning the turnover margin; b) Finding a consistent running threat to complement Juice Williams; and c) Finding a way to keep Arrelious Benn involved in the offense at all times.

So 0-for-3 then: The Illini finished –2 in giveaways, the leading rusher finished with 39 yards on a long of 11 and Benn left the game with an ankle injury. For good measure, starters Jason Ford and Jarred Fayson limped off the field, as well; at least Fayson returned, but he couldn't keep the Illini from sinking to their lowest point total in 18 games. Ron Zook's new record through four years and one game: 18-31.. Juice is 15-19 as a starting quarterback.

To Missouri: Your superfreak freshman quarterback was everything his recruiting stars said he would be, with no appreciable drop-off from Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin et al; I might have guessed both by the end of the year, but not right out of the gate, against what was supposed to be a quality team. Maybe Missouri quarterback really has become a glamour position that makes a star of everyone who steps into it; we'll find out when Blaine Gabbert comes across a stiffer defense that Illinois' (Oklahoma State made a pretty good case in that department), but the preseason assumptions about the Tigers' standing in the Big 12 North are pretty much null and void already.

Audi TT RS to debut at the Geneva Auto Show

2009-09-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Audi is once again producing a five-cylinder powerhouse: the Audi TT RS will be unveiled to the world at the Geneva Auto Show. Its turbocharged 2.5-litre engine produces well above 300PS. It also delivers explosive acceleration, driving delight, and unrivalled sound.

A legend is reborn. After all powerful five-cylinder gasoline engines have a long legacy at Audi. And the turbocharged direct-fuel-injection engine in the TT RS is the new torchbearer of this dynamic tradition. It enables the TT RS to perform extraordinary feats. For example, it needs nowhere near five seconds to reach 62mph; overtaking is child’s play; and 155mph is the limited top speed only on paper.

The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system, a sophisticated chassis, and stupendous brakes keep a tight rein on the power. All in all, the compact TT RS – with its lightweight and largely aluminium body constructed as per the Audi Space Frame principle – is a driving machine to be reckoned with.

Additional information will be available during the Audi Press Conference at the Geneva Auto Show on March 3, 2009 (Hall 1, Booth 1060).

Source: Audi

Rinspeed presents the iChange, car that alters its shape

2009-09-05T10:56:00.003-07:00

The Swiss auto powerhouse Rinspeed presents the ‘iChange,’ the world’s first car whose body adapts to the number of passengers on board.
For Rinspeed boss Rinderknecht the vehicle is more than just a clever concept car. “The „iChange“ is a symbol for the fundamental changes the auto industry undergoes worldwide. And it is clear that only those companies will survive that have innovative answers for the demands of a new automotive era.” The visionary Rinderknecht is convinced that the days of gas-guzzling behemoths are coming to an end: “The „iChange“ is a signal for the coming global changes to individual mobility. We need to be ready to meet these challenges with new ideas.”

In seconds a streamlined one-seater sports car transforms into a comfortable car with ample room for three. The trick: At the push of a button the rear end of the teardrop-shaped car magically pops up. “We have designed and built an extremely flexible vehicle. In it we have brought the themes of versatility and continually changing energy demands to their logical conclusions.” The result is a streamlined, lightweight zero-emission car with dramatically reduced energy consumption.

The basic idea behind the ‘iChange:’: The energy demand of a vehicle depends mostly on its weight, the type of engine it uses, and its aerodynamic properties. The engineering-services company Esoro that traditionally builds Rinspeed concept cars has built an extremely lightweight car weighing in at only 1’050 kilograms. To power the car, the Swiss specialists chose an electric motor. The idea of the pop-up rear end was conceived to account for the sizeable effect aerodynamics play in fuel consumption.

While other cars always have to ferry around their puffed-up exteriors that can accommodate up to seven passengers even if they’re just transporting a single soul, the „iChange“ features an adaptive body. The sole driver is conveyed in a teardrop-shaped car that offers optimal aerodynamic properties and thus minimized energy consumption. If more than one person need to be transported the expanding rear provides room for two passengers. As a result of the increased weight and no longer optimal aerodynamics the energy consumption increases - but only for the time passengers are actually on board.

The energy for the electric motor comes from lithium-ion batteries that are available in two different stack configurations for short- and long-distance driving. The electric motor of the „iChange“ produces 150kW, capable of propelling the car to a top speed of 220 km/h. The sprint from rest to 100 km/h takes just slightly over four seconds. This impressive performance is made possible with the help of a six-speed pre-selector gearbox from the Subaru WRX car. The central research department of Siemens AG (Corporate Technology, CT) supplied the integration technology for engine/generator, electronics and battery connection interface. Siemens has long been one of the world leaders for energy systems and eco technology with pioneering concepts for electric drive systems. Its products cover the entire electric value-added chain from generation to distribution to consumption. The gearbox and drivetrain are lubricated with eco-friendly lubricants from Motorex. Custom-made lightweight 17” and 18” forged wheels with aerodynamic shrouds are supplied by light-alloy wheel specialists AEZ. Pirelli P Zero tires in size 215/40-17 in front and size 245/40-18 in back provide optimal grip. The front lights derive from the Opel Insignia, the rear lamps come from the Opel Astra Twin Top.

An initial walk-around reveals that the concept car has no doors. The entire electrically powered roof section of the car measuring just 1.03 meters in height tilts forward to allow passengers to board. Also gone are such mundane things as a key. Its role is filled by an Apple iPhone, which also controls the most important vehicle functions. The „iChange“ is drastically different than ordinary cars in every detail: At the heart of the concept car lies the groundbreaking next-generation Harman/Kardon infotainment system. The system uses an innovative Intel processor technology that guarantees minimized power consumption. The same is true for the Harman/Kardon high-efficiency audio system. This revolutionary technology meets highest demands on sound quality, weighs much less than ordinary systems and at the same time uses only a fraction of energy. This opens the door to a new dimension of energy efficiency. The route guidance of the navigation system is also especially eco-friendly: The system calculates the most energy-saving route and displays the directions in realistic 3D view. When it comes to the subject of heating systems, the "iChange" is as versatile as its car body. Because the electric motor produces too little waste heat, the concept vehicle depends on a high-performance auxiliary heater. The Esslingen-based Eberspächer Group – one of the world's leading manufacturers of vehicle heating systems - designed two tailor-made ecological heating systems especially for this project: an electric heater as well as an ethanol 85 heater. This optimally accentuates the advantages of the two technologies: The entirely emission free electric PTC heater proves itself at short distances. Over long distances, the battery-independent alternative fuel-powered heater ensures a significantly longer operating range of the vehicle. As a result, even the heater of the "iChange" variably adjusts to the respective requirements.

The pure wool used in the interior was further refined into high-tech wool by Schoeller using state-of-the-art processes. The wool is spun and died in accordance with the highest eco standards. It provides an extremely extravagant ambiance in the ‘iChange,’ looks stunning and is delicate to the touch. The competence partner Strähle + Hess transformed this natural product into a striking interior. Its surface character and materiality combine to create a symbiosis of shell, firmness and frothy air. Unconventional techniques create unusual surfaces. The seams of the seats are reversed and the removable seats cushions are adorned with the prototype’s name. Xmobil provided further customization services. While textiles can be found in the „iChange“ in their original form in other areas, they are newly interpreted on seats and cargo floor using various refinement techniques such as braiding and gathering and a combination of both. Leather strips alternate with technical textiles. The seat cushions are interchangeable, braided felt alternates with technical textiles formed into three-dimensional shapes. This transfers the adaptive concept of the „iChange“ to the interior as well. The diamond-coated anti-slip floor is supplied by abrasives specialist KGS.

The Swiss Federal Ministry for Energy (Bundesamt für Energie) supports the „iChange“ project as a groundbreaking research and development project. Solar panels on the top and sides of the roof provide electricity to the fan to keep temperatures in the „iChange“ comfortably low on hot summer days. The large Sharp solar panels also provide additional eco-friendly charging of the batteries.

With the „ iChange“ Rinderknecht, a passionate C. F. Bucherer watch wearer, and his partners once more want to provide food for thought for the automotive industry. The Swiss car visionary: “If we want to maintain our individual mobility in the future we have to rethink the car in its entirety, without taboos. Most of all, we have to take its ecological aspects into consideration.” And in the end everyone has to personally answer the same question: Am I ready and willing to change myself, do and can ‘I change?

Source: Rinspeed

Alfa Mito DNAis in your jeans

2009-09-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

Conceived to celebrate the unique genealogy passed from the breathtaking Alfa 8C Competizione supercar to the head-turning Alfa MiTo, the Italian sporting car manufacturer, Alfa Romeo, paired up with TV’s fashion expert, Louise Roe, to challenge two up-and-coming fashion designers to create a line of women’s jeans that would be as cool and desirable as the Alfa MiTo and, and at the same time, raise money for charity.

The result is a one-off series of limited edition skinny fit jeans – available via www.mitojeans.co.uk - that echo the genealogy concept by deconstructing first generation jeans to create new, high fashion jeans complete with a high quality leather waistband and Alfa Romeo red stitching.

London-based fashion designers Bjork and McElligott, who have already created outfits for a number of celebrities, also introduced other distinct and attractive styling touches including embroidered rear pockets – one featuring the serpent from Alfa Romeo’s iconic badge on the right plus their own logo on the left pocket – to create recognisable and distinct jeans.

Significantly most Alfa MiTos feature a DNA button that alters the responsiveness of the accelerator, brakes and traction to suit different driving conditions – Dynamic, Normal and All Weather.

Sophie McElligott said: “The DNA button gave us an extra framework to operate within. The Alfa MiTo’s parentage from the Alfa 8C and the concept that DNA is in your genes made the project’s beneficiary an easy choice.”

The designers chose the charity Jeans for Genes to profit from the sale of the high class jeans and found two boutique retail outlets in London through the charity’s patron, Donna Ida.

Priced at £75 a pair the designer jeans are expected to raise vital funds for Jeans for Genes.

Source: Alfa Romeo

Bozic wins final sprint to take Stage 6 at Vuelta

2009-09-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

XATIVA, Spain -- Slovenian Borut Bozic landed the best stage victory of his career by winning the 176.8-kilometer sixth leg of the Vuelta a Espana on Friday.

The Vacansoleil rider crossed the finish line well clear of American Tyler Farrar and former Vuelta winner Daniele Bennati of Italy.

The sprinters are dominating the overall standings with German Andre Greipel in first place, six seconds ahead of Belgian Tom Boonen and nine seconds in front of Bennati in third.

"This is a major breakthrough," Bozic told reporters. "The key to winning was being well positioned behind Farrar and Boonen and then accelerating away 250 meters from the line.

"Nobody expected me to start my move so far from the finish, and I was able to take the biggest victory of my career."

The 29-year-old Bozic said cycling in Slovenia was a minority sport, which made it tough to carve out his career path.

"I've only ever raced in smaller teams and that means you have to fight harder and win more in order to succeed," he said.

"Today's result though should make a few people sit up and take notice."

Saturday's 30-kilometer time trial in Valencia is likely to see the race favorites strengthen their positions.

"It's not very long and it's pretty flat, so there won't be big differences," said Spain's Alejandro Valverde.

"Afterwards we won't know who'll win overall, but it's the first indication who the real contenders are and who's just come along for the ride.

"Of the favorites, I'm expecting [Australian] Cadel Evans and [Italian] Ivan Basso to do the best, it's their kind of time trial," added Valverde.

The Vuelta finishes on Sept. 20 in Madrid.

Italy, Australia on fire at mountain bike worlds

2009-09-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

The 2009 UCI mountain bike world championships got underway yesterday in Canberra, Australia, marking its first return since 1996 when the resort town of Cairns hosted the event.

With huge crowds on hand, the championships opened with the team relay. The relay consists of four national team members in the men's, women's, under-23 men and a junior man. Team Italy captured the gold medal in a fiercely fought race over Canada, while France, long a mountain bike power, was third. The U.S. squad finished 12th.

Day two of the championships saw the first day of individual racing, and it started off with the junior women's event. First place went to the French rider Pauline Prevot, with Switzerland's Michelle Hediger in second. South Africa's Candice Neethling continued her family's tradition of excellence in the dirt with a third in the three-lap race. Many were not at all surprised about Prevot's win as she was second in the road worlds. The top U.S. rider was Jill Behlen in 16th, while Essence Barton was 18th.

Junior men's racing also was contested when the superb riding of Italian Gerhard Kerschbaumer, who also took part in Italy's win in the relay race, won the gold. Switzerland, which has produced many of the world's top mountain bikers since the early days of the sport, grabbed the silver medal 15 seconds behind. The top North American in the race was Canada's Mitch Bailey.

Women's U-23 racing was also held. The already-European champion Aleksandra Dawidowicz won with a time of 1:24.32. Sweden's Alexandra Engen was second while Julie Bresset won the bronze. The top-ranked U.S. rider was Chloe Forsman in 15th place.

In the U-23 men's race, the field felt the sting of powerful World Cup rider Burry Stander of South Africa, a nation that has embraced mountain biking in a big way. Alexis Vullermoz of France was second and Thomas Litcher (SUI) was in third.

In the men's and women's four cross event, a pair of Aussie riders claimed golds. Jared Graves, who took part in the debut BMX event at the Beijing Olympics, won for the men while OZ gravity rider Caroline Buchanan took the women's crown, all to a huge standing ovation. A pair of U.S. women placed silver and bronze with Jill Kintner and Melissa Buhl going a fine 2-3 for the Yanks.

Downhill training was also held prior to tommorow's downhill championships. The Aussies, who boast one of the best downhill teams in the world, saw great, fast training times from Mick Hannah, and the former UCI world champion, Sam Hill. Among other favorites for men will be the UK's Steve Peat and South Africa's Greg Minnar. In women's training the UK's Tracey Moseley had the fastest qualification time, while Canada's Claire Buchar was second in training. Canada will host the next UCI World Mountain Bike Championships in Mont Ste. Anne, QUE.

Still to come: the downhill and cross-country races.

Cancellara wins time trial, regains gold at Vuelta

2009-09-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Time-trial specialist Fabian Cancellara of Saxo Bank won the seventh stage race against the clock at the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday.

Cancellara, who rode to victory at the Olympic time trial in Beijing last summer, completed the 30-kilometer course around Valencia in 36:41. Garmin's David Millar was second, and Team Columbia's Bert Grabsch, the reigning world time-trial champ, came in third.

The victory pushed Cancellara back to the top of the overall standings, where he spent the first four days of the race after taking the opening time-trial stage in Assen, Netherlands. Yesterday's overall leader Andre Greipel of Columbia tumbled down the standings after placing 67th on the day, 2:37 behind Cancellara. He sits 27th overall.

The three-week Vuelta moves into the mountains on Sunday with the 204-kilometer eighth stage from Alzira to Alto de Aitana.

Training resumes Monday for Phelps

2009-09-05T01:06:00.001-07:00

BALTIMORE (AP) --- Swimmer Michael Phelps is still nursing a sore ankle from the car accident he was in Thursday, but the Olympic gold medalist intends to resume training Monday.

In a message on his official Facebook site, Phelps also expressed concern for the woman involved in the car crash, which occurred when she ran a red light, according to Baltimore police.

"Thanks everybody who has reached out since the accident," Phelps posted. "I am fine and glad nobody was seriously hurt. I hope the other driver is doing OK. My ankle hurts and I am having it checked out, but nothing that is going to prevent me from getting back to training on Monday. Hope you guys have a good weekend."

Phelps posted the message shortly after 3:30 p.m. on the East Coast, and by 6 o'clock had nearly 1,000 responses.

The Olympic star was driving with an invalid, out-of-state license and told police he drank a beer about 75 minutes before he was involved in an accident.

Police did not administer field sobriety tests because Phelps showed no signs of being impaired by alcohol.

He will be cited for driving without a license and failure to establish residency in Maryland police said.

Phelps has won a record 14 gold medals, including eight at last year's Beijing Olympics. He recently won five gold medals and a silver at the world swimming championships in Rome.

John Cadigan, a senior coach with the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, which is based at the swim center operated by Phelps and his coach, said Friday that Phelps was not expected to be back at practice until next week.

Hoff to leave Baltimore; will join new club in California

2009-09-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

FULLERTON, Calif. --- Katie Hoff is the first of the big names with no ties to KING Aquatics to surface in connection with the USOC Post-Grad Center, first reported by Swimming World, to be housed in Fullerton, Calif. After a difficult year, Hoff has chosen to move cross country from her longtime headquarters at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to work with Katie," FAST's high performance coach Sean Hutchison told Swimming World. "Bob [Bowman] and I have talked about this and he is very supportive of the move and only wants Katie to be happy and successful."

The move will be Hoff's second coaching change since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Before the past long course season, Hoff moved from Paul Yetter to Bob Bowman at NBAC. Yetter has since left NBAC to become an assistant coach at Auburn University.

Hoff went into 2008 on fire with world titles in the 200m IM, 400m IM and 800m freestyle relay on her resume. Some reports even speculated whether Hoff could out-produce Michael Phelps heading into Beijing. Hoff still did well in Beijing with a silver medal in the 400m free, and bronze medals in the 400m IM and 800m freestyle relay. A gold medal, however, was at the top of her list of expected achievements.

With a new personal coach in Bowman, Hoff entered the 2009 season with new hopes. Those hopes were dashed this summer when she suffered an illness heading into the 2009 U.S. World Championships Trials, and did not make the team.

The move is a return to her roots as Hoff was born in Palo Alto, Calif. She will also have good friend Caroline Burckle to train with, as Burckle has been confirmed to be moving to the new training center.

I am super excited, and was in need of a fresh start," Hoff told Swimming World. "I think that FAST, swimming with Sean, is the right place for me right now. This year has obviously been rough for me. After Nationals, I just took a step back and decided what I wanted to do. I heard about the opportunity at FAST right after Nationals. After talking to Caroline [Burckle] about the opportunity, I was looking forward to having girls to train with that were my same age. I also never got to go away to college either, so this is similar to that. So, I am looking forward to that change as well.

Content provided by: Swimming World Magazine.

Torres pondering one more Games

2009-09-05T00:42:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Olympic swimming heroine Dara Torres pauses her delicate hazel eyes narrow, and she stares at a tiny puddle of water that has splashed out of the pool.

The inspirational 42-year-old Floridian badly wants to compete at the London Olympics in 2012 but ponders the potential deal-breakers -- her age, her health and her devotion to her three-year-old daughter Tessa.

I have a little less than a year to figure it out what I want to do, she said. "I really want my knee to heal and want to get my legs back in shape.

"Then I'll talk to my coach and go from there. It's a big commitment but I've done it before and I know how to do it. It's just a matter if my body will hold up."

At nearly 6-feet tall with abs sculpted like a weightlifter, Dara Grace Torres has pin-up good looks and appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1994.

She is also a brilliant motivator, proving to an older population that throwing in the towel to the younger generation can be delayed through desire and hard work.

But most of all, Torres is a swimmer, a lithe 12-time Olympic medalist, including four golds, whose drive to touch the wall first is unrivaled.

She has won at least one medal in each of the five Games in which she has competed, including three silvers in Beijing last year at the age of 41.

That is why Torres bristles at finishing eighth in the 50-meter freestyle at the world championships in Rome earlier this month.

"I'm very competitive. I always want to win," Torres told Reuters recently at the Asphalt Green pool in Manhattan's Upper East Side. "That's not what I was hoping to do when I went to the world championships.

"But you need to be realistic sometimes. I had a long talk with my coach [Michael Lohberg]. He said, 'Dara, you had so many distractions. How can you be at the top of your game when that's the case?'

"When he puts it into perspective it helps. A little bit at least."

While Torres had her mind focused solely on the Beijing Games last year, prior to Rome she wrote a book, was a frequent motivational speaker, and made scores of other appearances.

Plus, she has a knee injury, basically bone on bone. It is arthritic and "has defects."

"I'm going to have to get that fixed," she said. "Even if I want to have a normal life. I go up and down stairs and it hurts."

Torres is thrilled that FINA, the sport's international governing body, is to ban polyurethane-based suits in 2010. Forty-three records fell in Rome and FINA decided the hi-tech suits played too much of a role.

Speedo, did not have as much polyurethane in their suits as the Italian-based manufacturer, Jaked, so Torres briefly jumped ship from her sponsor and wore the suit of Speedo's rival during the freestyle heats.

The whole affair was unsettling for Torres, a lifelong Speedo devotee.

"I'm excited because sometimes those suits can aid swimmers that don't have the best or most efficient strokes," she said. "We'll now get to see who the best swimmers are."

Many athletes adopt a slower pace following an Olympic year but Torres continues to sprint, whether it is throwing out a ceremonial pitch at a baseball game or trying to inspire a legion of corporate workers.

She is working with the energy company BP on a "Younger for Longer" online contest (bpinvigorate.com) and has launched her own Twitter account that has more than 6,000 followers.

However, by next summer Torres just might feel that itch to try for her sixth Olympics in a quest to add to her career haul of four gold, four silver, four bronze medals.

She concedes her training regimen has changed since her first Olympics 25 years ago in Los Angeles. Torres knows all about comebacks, having sat out the 1996 and 2004 Games.

"It's much different than when I was younger," she said. "When you're younger you feel invincible. When you get older you're definitely more prone to injury.

"When I first made this comeback a few years ago, I wanted to do what the 20-year-olds were doing. I realized pretty quickly that I can't do what they're doing, at least as far as training goes.

"So I went from about nine workouts to five workouts a week."

Torres maintains a great relationship with compatriot Michael Phelps, 24, who grabbed a record eight gold medals in Beijing. They are team mates but the age difference is not lost on either of them.

"He's a good kid. He calls me 'Mom' and I call him 'Son,'" she said with a laugh.

Phelps wearing walking boot on right ankle

2009-09-05T00:36:00.000-07:00

BALTIMORE (AP) --- Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps is wearing a walking boot on the right ankle he injured in a car accident a little more than a week ago.

The black boot covers the 14-time gold medalist's right foot entirely and goes almost all the way up to his knee.

Phelps was driving with an invalid, out-of-state license Aug. 13 when another driver ran a red light, causing the accident, according to Baltimore police.

Speaking at an event Saturday to promote his appearance on Shaquille O'Neal's reality TV show, "Shaq VS," Phelps said he has been training in the pool despite the hurt ankle.

Says Phelps: "I've been in the water this week. Everything is precautionary. Nothing major. I can still train and everything."

Records will fall despite ban on suits, says Peirsol

2009-09-05T00:21:00.000-07:00

WELLINGTON --- Records smashed at the 2009 world swimming championships are likely to be broken as early as next year despite a ban on polyurethane swimsuits taking effect from Jan. 1, says world and Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol.

The swimsuits, which provide greater bouyancy and streamlining under the water, helped contribute to 43 records being broken at the July 17-Aug. 2 championships in Rome.

However Peirsol, who swam one minute, 51.92 seconds to break his own world record and claim gold in the 200 metres backstroke, is not convinced his and other records will stand for long even after swimmers revert back to textile swimsuits.

"This sport will learn how to break those records again very, very quickly," Peirsol told reporters on a conference call to discuss his appearance at the World Cup short-course meeting in Singapore from Nov. 21-22.

"People have had a taste of going very fast. They won't forget it. They will get back into the water and think they can go that fast again, and they will.

"I think people will be surprised at how fast they go next year. I do think world records will get broken next year."

Peirsol said he had initially been sceptical and critical of the new suits' performance capabilities, but had begun to accept their use by the time of the championships.

"The initial impact of the suits was pretty negative, including (from) myself," the 26-year-old added.

"(But) I go back and forth with it. I thought the competitiveness it brought to the sport was unparalleled....I think it levelled the playing field quite a bit.

"You could look at it as being an evolution of the sport with the way it was going with technology and I began to start looking at it like that.

"It was helping not just the top level of swimmers but it was starting to trickle down, all around the world -- and I didn't see anything wrong with that."

Peirsol, who broke the 100 backstroke record at the U.S. Nationals before the world championships, failed to make the final for the event in Rome.

"It was hard to deal with and hard to swallow," he said. "It was my own fault. I thought I was swimming faster than I was and the field was swimming slower than they were.

"At the time it happened it was extremely disappointing, but by the time the meet ended if someone had told me I was going to go 1:51 (for the 200) if I missed the 100 final then I would have said 'okay, that's fine'.

"That 200 backstroke completely erased any semblance of regret from missing the 100."

Peirsol, who has so far only committed to the season-ending World Cup event in Singapore, said he was considering competing at some of the other meetings on the circuit that included Durban, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Stockholm and Berlin.

"It will be awesome. I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't done many World Cups.

"I would like to go to Europe for a couple and that is a definite possibility.

Coming off of this summer, it will be really good.

University Student Designs an Electric Motorcycle: The VertiGO

2009-09-05T00:14:00.001-07:00

Delft Unversity student Maarten Timmer presented VertiGO, an electric racing motorbike for course project. Its advantages include fast acceleration and low noise, and it is environmentally friendly.

The motorbike, which is currently still available only as a prototype/model, is radically different from conventional bikes in terms of design and technology.
Maarten Timmer designed an electric race bike, the VertiGO, for his graduation project at TU Delft. According to Maarten, a student at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, it is definitely possible to produce a fast and attractive motorbike with an electric drive. This also has the advantage that electric drive is low-noise and produces few emissions.

‘A quiet engine would be a benefit for circuit racing, which is subject to increasingly stringent noise requirements and for which there is even a maximum number of “noise days”, as with the TT circuit at Assen. This bike can be raced without causing noise nuisance’, explains Timmer.

Sluggish
Timmer: ‘Generally, people have the idea that electric vehicles are sluggish and awkward, but it’s quite the opposite! They have relatively small engines but there is a high torque available straightaway. That makes for very fast acceleration – faster than with most conventional motorbikes.’

So the VertiGO will accelerate super-fast. But on straight sections of track at maximum speed it will not be able to keep up with standard bikes. In theory it can go 100 to 150 km on a single battery pack.

Design
The initial question for Timmer was how an electric powertrain system would affect the new race bike. New technology has made it possible to create a new ‘archetype’. ‘The VertiGO is radically different in terms of technology. You have an electromotor instead of a combustion engine, and the energy storage is different (battery packs instead of a fuel tank). The fact that the powertrain is so different from a standard bike affects the design (see photo) – the design/styling of the bodywork is inextricably linked to the technology’, explains Timmer. ‘In terms of styling I’ve certainly been able to produce an innovative bike. The fact that it has a few features in common with a standard bike is partly due to the technology. Aspects such as the wheel base and ergonomics of a race bike have been developed to the full in recent decades and have proved to be (almost) optimal. Apart from that, in my view it’s wise to implement the development step by step, because the motorcycling world is cautious when it comes to change.’

Car industry
The development of electric vehicles is currently taking place mainly in the car industry. ‘In contrast to the car industry, in the relatively small world of motorbikes there is not so much money and R&D available for this sort of initiative. The development of electric motorbikes is still in its infancy, and so far the designs have stayed too close to conventional models.’

Working version
It wasn’t possible for Timmer to realise a working version of the bike within the short period of his graduation project. In the future, however, it will certainly be possible to produce an actual working VertiGO. The first step in that direction is the STW Valorisation Grant that has now been awarded to Timmer. ‘In the next few months I’ll be carrying out a feasibility study for the design, from a commercial as well as a technical perspective.’

The Netherlands as a model
Maarten Timmer’s graduation research fits in the wider research framework of TU Delft and in particular the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. In many different settings, intensive work is being carried out on innovations in the field of electric mobility, a subject that is receiving a great deal of attention. On the day that Maarten Timmer graduated, the Dutch Cabinet announced that it has earmarked 65 million euros to stimulate the development of electric transport. Prof. Cees de Bont, chairman of D-INCERT (Dutch Innovation Centre for the Electrification of Road Transport) and Dean of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, thinks that the ministers’ plan is a balanced one. ‘It is encouraging that the government wants to take on the role of launching customer. As a testbed for electric vehicles, the Netherlands can indeed serve as a model in terms of testing electric transport in various relevant environments, and in terms of adoption by businesses and consumers. However, a weakness in the plan is the lack of attention for electric vehicles other than cars. Electric variants are becoming more and more popular when it comes to two-wheelers such as bikes, scooters and motorbikes.’ Timmer’s project shows that, at race circuits too, there is still plenty to be won.

Limited Edition Titanium Fireblade

2009-09-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

Honda is releasing a limited edition Titanium version of the CBR1000RR –- while it comes with all the breathtaking performance of the MotoGP RC211V-derived 2005 Fireblade, the only difference to the standard machine is the Titanium paint job gracing the latest Fireblade’s bodywork which is quite distinctive in 2005 with a sharper and more aggressively angled nose with a lower windscreen. The new Titanium model will be available from July in extremely limited quantities.

Honda CBR1000RR-based machines have been a consistent winner in the Australian and British superbike championship events it has not been nearly as consistent in the important United States AMA Superbike Championship (zero wins) or the World Superbike Championship (four wins last year and only one this year) where Suzuki has dominated the championships. In completely stock form, the CBR1000RR isn’t winning either. The World Superbike championships has a Superstock event at each European round where dead stock machinery is raced. Yamaha YZF R1 machines have won three of four races so far this season with Suzuki GSXR1000 winning the other race and Yamaha riders holding the first three places in the championship.

But when it all boils down at this level, a rider will make more difference than the difference between the machinery so we’re a big stickler for riding the contenders and choosing the one that fits your riding style best. One of the most endearing features of the CBR1000RR is just how closely the bike resembles the machinery you’ll find on the MotoGP grid – check out the accompanying pics to see the similarity between the RC211V and the CBR1000RR. The motors may be completely different, but almost everything else is very close.

Suzuki 2006 GSX-R1000 lands

2009-09-05T00:01:00.001-07:00

The latest incarnation of Suzuki’s world-beating GSX-R1000 performance sportsbike has landed on Australian shores and is expected to become available in most major markets in the next few weeks. Distributors have reported that demand for the current 2005 model has been very strong, and with the new colour options, particularly a matt black version, Suzuki expects the new 2006-model to be even more popula. The model is identical to the 2005 model apart from paintwork, which can be expected given that the Suzuki GSX-R1000 has a stranglehold on the World Superbike Championship, has already won the American AMA Superbike Championship and three-time Australian Superbike Champion, Shawn Giles is on the verge of claiming a record fourth title in the premier road-racing class as he heads into the final round with a 10-point advantage.

The Suzuki GSX-R1000’s 999cc 16-valve, four-cylinder, liquid cooled, DOHC powerplant produces a claimed power figure of 178ps. Offering an exceptional power-to-weight ratio, the GSX-R1000 tips the scales at just 166kg dry to be the lightest and strongest open-class sportsbike ever produced by Suzuki. Its sleek, aggressive design is further complemented by new livery for 2006 which includes the introduction into Australia of the Matt Black / Black colour scheme that has been immensely popular throughout Europe. Featuring a 2-year unlimited kilometre warranty, the Suzuki GSX-R1000K6 is now available in Pearl Blue/White, Matt Black / Black or Metallic Grey and will sell in the Australian market at a suggested retail price of AUD$18,950 (inc GST) plus on-road costs.

Suzuki GSX-R1000 takes season superstock opener

2009-09-04T23:51:00.001-07:00

One of the great things about production racing is that you get to see exactly how well a pretty standard motorcycle can perform. With the advent of the Superstock class, we can now see something very close to showroom stock motorcycles – a far more realistic appraisal of how well they perform on the road. The European Superstock Championships are now eight years old and Suzuki’s Gixxer won it last year, and has taken the title five of the eight times it has been contested. The AMA equivalent class kicked off yesterday at Daytona and it looks like Suzuki will be keeping its crown already. Team Yoshimura Suzuki's Ben Spies took pole on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, then led home Ben Bostrum’s Yamaha R1 to take the first win of the season. With the defending champ scoring a victory first up, Suzuki’s stocks are again strong, but a look down the field indicates that the contest may well come from within. Suzuki Gixxers filled third through to tenth place.

“At the beginning of the race I had a little issue but it was all me and the bike came through,” said Spies. “I can't say enough about the power of the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000.”

In qualifying, Spies picked up the first Superstock pole position of the year after posting a 1:38.355 fast lap time on the production-class.

“It was a really good qualifying session though we struggled a bit at the end,” said Spies. “We went out on race tyres and went good and were consistent. I used the first 'Q' and that didn't work too well. I used another one and I had a good lap going but I came up on another rider and that cost us a little bit.”

Although Spies would have preferred to have posted a quicker lap time, he was extremely pleased with the overall performance of his bike.

“The GSX-R1000 is working good, the team is doing a great job and I'm happy with my riding,” said Spies. “We know what everybody else is doing on race tyres and I'd like to say we're going to go out there and win the race. Our lap times are right there with the Superbike's and this GSX-R is right off the showroom floor. It's definitely the best bike in the class. Now we just have to go out there and win the race.”

In the 13-lap race itself, Spies got a great start and took the lead immediately. A few laps in, however, he was passed and settled into second for most of the race. But with just a few laps to go, the defending AMA Superbike Champion retook the lead and captured the victory.

“We've always been so close here,” said Spies. “Today's race played out like I hoped it would at first and then I rode like a provisional novice and made a bunch of mistakes. Geoff May was riding good and got by me… eventually I was able to get to the front and tried to get a gap. When I realised that I had about a second on the field, I put my head down and tried to check out. I'm just glad we were able to bring home the win.”

Round two of the AMA Superstock Series will be held at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on April 20 - 22.

AMA Superstock Top 10 Finishers:

1 Ben Spies (Yoshimura Suzuki) 2 Ben Bostrom (Yamaha) 3 Geoff May (M4 EMGO Suzuki) 4 Aaron Yates (Jordan Suzuki) 5 Danny Eslick (Suzuki) 6 Chris Ulrich (Suzuki) 7 Blake Young (Suzuki) 8 Scott Jensen (Suzuki) 9 Tristan Palmer (Suzuki) 10 John Haner (Suzuki)

Article Summary
March 10, 2007 One of the great things about production racing is that you get to see exactly how well a pretty standard motorcycle can perform. With the advent of the Superstock class we can now see something very close to showroom stock motorcycles – a far more realistic appraisal of how well they perform on the road. The European Superstock Championships are now eight years old and Suzuki’s Gixxer won it last year, and has taken the title five of the eight times it has been contested. The AMA equivalent class kicked off yesterday at Daytona and it looks like Suzuki will be keeping its crown already. Team Yoshimura Suzuki's Ben Spies took pole on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, then led home Ben Bostrum’s Yamaha R1 to take the first win of the season. With the defending champ scoring a victory first up, Suzuki’s stocks are again strong, but a look down the field indicates that the contest may well come from within. Suzuki Gixxers filled third through to tenth place.

2009-09-04T23:45:00.000-07:00

2009-09-04T23:28:00.000-07:00

Visa Championships might be Sender's sendoff

2009-09-04T04:53:00.000-07:00

U.S. gymnast David Sender whose injury one day before the start of the 2008 Olympic Trials ended his dream of becoming an Olympian, returns to the Visa Championships this week to defend his U.S. men’s all-around title.

It may be his last competition.

Still reeling emotionally due to his omission from the Beijing Olympic team, Sender is considering leaving the sport and entering veterinary school in September.

It’s going to be veterinary school or gymnastics for the next few years,” he said during a recent phone interview. “I talked to people and learned it’s very difficult to do both.

School would start for Sender in September and he will decide on his future later this month.

Before spraining an ankle in training the day before the start of the Olympic Trials last year, Sender had formulated a solid plan for his future. After competing in Beijing, the then-22 year old wanted to move beyond gymnastics and learn how to be an animal doctor.

But the injury forced Sender to withdraw on the second day of the trials, altering his plan and starting a series or events that eventually prompted a change in his approach to gymnastics.

“I can’t completely explain how it felt,” he said. “It wasn’t just like four years of hard work. It was a lifelong thing. After Visas went well, I felt confident going into the trials. It seemed I was about to realize my dream.”

Despite the injury, Sender still hoped he would be named to the U.S. Olympic team as an alternate. But U.S. coaches decided not to select him, instead choosing 2004 Olympic all-around gold medalist Paul Hamm, who also missed the trails due to injury. Hamm later withdrew from the team due to the injury and was replaced with Raj Bhavsar.

"When they selected the team and I wasn't even announced to the training camp, it was a harsh blow," he said. "I thought i was still in shape and that I should have been given a chance to show I was ready."

Sender still feels some disappointment.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever completely get over it,” he said. “Even if I were to make the 2012 Olympics, while that would be fantastic, my goal was the 2008 Olympics and be done and move on to school. My first reaction was I felt cheated, not only by the selection committee but by bad luck and bad timing because of the injury.”

Sender reflects uncomfortably on the Olympic selection process. He claims he was never told why he was not selected. “I don’t know if the injury was not considered," he said. "I understand they were in a tough position to possibly select two guys who were injured and might not be 100 percent. But they said in the meeting when they announced the team that they considered everybody to be healthy. I didn’t have a chance to compete at the trials and get the scores like everybody else did. I’m trying not to be bitter, trying to move on from it and look at it as objectively as possible.”

Sender admits he considered leaving gymnastics during a three-week break following the trials last year. He returned to the sport with a different attitude.

“I don’t like doing my gymnastics for anyone else,” he said. “The selection committee is always kind of watching you. I never enjoyed the part of having to prove myself to people, to do what they wanted to see rather than what I wanted to do. What I do now is for my own enjoyment.”

Sender displayed his new attitude at the Maccabiah Games in July in Israel when he won three gold medals. He used the meet at a tuneup for the Visa Championships.

“I wanted to go out and make a good showing more for me than anything else considering how everything went last year,” he said. “I’m doing gymnastics this year for my health and enjoying it.”

Sender has not ruled out training with the goal of making the U.S. team for the 2012 London Olympics while he attends veterinary school. For now, including at the U.S. championships this week, Sender hopes to maintain the joy for gymnastics that he felt in Israel.

“The only thing I have on my back is that I’m the defending national champion,” he said. “I’m not worried about that. I just want to make a good showing for myself and have fun.”

Liukin fifth on beam; Bross takes opening lead

2009-09-04T04:51:00.001-07:00

DALLAS (AP)--- They might have called it "Nastia Unplugged," the closest most people will come to seeing Nastia Liukin looking more like just another gymnast than an Olympic champion.

Still rounding into shape after a yearlong break, Liukin showed off a solid but imperfect beam routine Thursday in the first round of the U.S. championships, a 100-second performance that left her both relieved and anxious.

Relieved that it was over.

Anxious to show a hometown crowd that she can do better.

"I was just getting the butterflies out," she said. "I'm hoping Saturday I'll go out there and be more calm and under control."

The crowd of 7,523 gave the 19-year-old champion as big a hand as anyone after her performance - a routine she can do in her sleep by now, filled with graceful lines, delicate leaps and beautiful pirouettes. There were also a couple wobbles that kept it from being Olympic-type stuff.

Liukin scored a 14.45 - more than a point off her average - then exited stage right. Earlier, she had skipped the uneven bars, which earlier in the week she had said she would perform. She is only a few months back into full-time training after a year of fulfilling obligations that go along with winning all-around Olympic gold.

"Her goal is to stay in gymnastics until we see what's going on in life," said her father and coach, Valeri. "This is her thing. She has to go through this. It's important she goes through this because she wants this."

With Liukin out of the mix for the all-around and defending national champion Shawn Johnson taking a break, 2007 junior national champion Rebecca Bross jumped into the lead after the first day, with 58.55 points, 0.35 points ahead of Ivana Hong. Bridget Sloan is in third.

Bross and Hong train with Liukin at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, which also produced 2004 Olympic champion Carly Patterson.

"After the Olympics, I thought I needed a vacation," said Valeri Liukin. "But this is unbelievable. I love it. It's better than a vacation."

Also returning from a long break was 2005 world champion Chellsie Memmel, who got back on the beam and scored a 13.8. She was on the fence about returning and decided to come back with a little urging from national team coordinator Martha Karolyi.

Memmel and Liukin hugged when it was over.

"It's kind of nice to know there's someone out there in the same boat with you," Memmel said.

But Liukin conceded she felt more pressure than usual, competing in front of a hometown crowd.

"If nationals wouldn't have been here, I wouldn't have been as nervous," she said. "But there were so many girls from my gym, friends, family out there watching you. Naturally, you want to do your best."

Bross, on the other hand, said she was energized by the Dallas audience.

"It kinda made me comfortable knowing all those girls I train with are out there rooting for me," she said.

She was in the lead despite teetering to avoid falling off the mat on her vault landing and falling on her behind on her beam dismount. Her increasing difficulty is what set her apart, and she also showed toughness, going on all four events less than a month after hurting her ankle in a qualifier for nationals.

Hong has also been dealing with a lingering ankle injury that kept her from making the 2008 Olympic team. She's a graceful, precise gymnast, and when healthy, she could easily be one of the top five in the country.

But she's little-known outside of gymnastics circles.

A national championship might change that a bit.

"That would be huge," she said. "But all I can do is go out there and do my job and let the judges decide."

She still has to prove herself to them.

Liukin, meanwhile, already has their respect. At this meet, though, she feels like there are thousands more judges sitting in the stands.

ROPES AND MATS: 2008 Olympian Alicia Sacramone is doing color commentary on the in-house broadcast. Sacramone said she's getting back into light training after shoulder surgery in May. She hasn't ruled out a comeback. ... Patterson, who took a turn on "Celebrity Duets," after winning her gold medal in 2004, is coming out with an album at the end of the month, "Back to the Beginning."

Olympian Sloan takes national crown

2009-09-04T04:48:00.000-07:00

DALLAS (AP) -- It will be hard to overlook Bridget Sloan anymore. A national title can do that for a woman.

The 17-year-old from Indianapolis took her spot alongside the greatest names in American gymnastics Saturday, winning U.S. championships in a come-from-behind effort that was as much about her unrelenting tenacity as her surprising grace.

Sloan, a member of last year's Olympic silver-medal team, opened the meet in a hole after falling off the balance beam on her first routine Thursday, but overcame Ivana Hong and Rebecca Bross with seven straight solid routines after that.

She finished with 117.55 points to beat out Hong by 0.3 and Bross by 0.95.

"It's what I always wanted to do forever, to be able to put on a big show for everyone, it's awesome," Sloan said.

The top three all closed the night on vault with the exact same jump - a laid-out flip with two twists - and though Bross' and Hong's were better, they weren't enough to overcome the 0.55-point lead Sloan built through the floor exercise.

Defending Olympic champion Nastia Liukin reprised her beam routine from Thursday night with a better result, eliminating some wobbles and tentativeness to score a 14.7, 0.25 better than in her debut. She is rounding into shape after taking most of the year off.

Liukin and Sloan are both favorites to be on the four-woman team that heads to London for world championships in October. Liukin is trying to win her 10th worlds medal to surpass Shannon Miller as the most decorated American gymnast in history.

"She has some things that aren't where they usually are," national team coordinator Martha Karolyi said. "But with two more months, she should be able to accomplish it."

Other choices won't be as easy, though Hong and Bross are both squarely in the mix. Both train with Liukin at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy near Dallas, the gym that has produced the last two Olympic champions - Liukin and Carly Patterson.

Bross came into the day with the lead, but the 16-year-old lost her grip with one of her hands on the opening uneven bars routine, then fell completely off moments later.

"I wasn't really nervous. It was just one of those things that happened," she said.

Those mistakes put Hong in the lead briefly and she made her way through a clean night of gymnastics, but not as high-flying as Sloan's.

Still, this wasn't a bad night for Bross or Hong, each of whom are rounding back into form after injuries. Hong's ankle injury kept her off the Olympic team last year. She was vying for the final spot, which went to Sloan.

Sloan said she's never shied from the underdog role that naturally came competing on a team with Liukin, Shawn Johnson, a showwoman like Alicia Sacramone and the rest.

"My name wasn't really known until last summer at the Olympics," Sloan said. "I know that. But that's OK."

She has a big fan in Karolyi, who thinks her long lines and graceful precision will play well with international judges. She has also become more consistent than when she was 15 and just getting into the mix. That consistency earned her the spot on the Olympic team.

"In 2007, she was a little timid and would get nervous. But this is a different Bridget," Karolyi said. "The exact lines, the preciseness. She needs to add a few extra things, but I'm happy with this."

Horton wins first national title

2009-09-04T04:45:00.000-07:00

DALLAS (AP) -- Jonathan Horton will celebrate his national-title performance for a bit.

Then, he'll start picking it apart.

"I'm always trying to one-up myself," he said.

The gymnast who always wanted to be "The Man" for the U.S. team finally made it a reality Friday night by winning a national title, taking it in a runaway over Tim McNeill and Wes Haagensen.

Horton finished with 181.9 points, 3.4 better than McNeill and 3.9 ahead of Haagensen.

Defending national champion David Sender, who led most of the first night, had a rough second day and finished 10th.

Horton's victory wasn't a big surprise.

He has an Olympic silver medal on high bar and a fourth-place finish in the all-around at 2007 worlds already on his resume. But he wanted a national championship, too, and anyone who thinks nationals in the year after an Olympics don't mean much hasn't checked in with Horton lately.

He has finished second twice over the last three years.

"That just makes you want to get back in the gym and work harder," he said.

The work won't stop simply because he won this one, though.

He didn't give himself good grades for most of this meet, in large part because he has only jumped back into serious, everyday training over the last three weeks, after a year that included graduating from Oklahoma, getting married to another Sooner gymnast, Haley DeProspero, and moving from Norman to Houston.

"I'm ecstatic with what I did," Horton said. "But I've got a long way to go if I want to keep up with the rest of the world and I know that."

He knows all about these uphill climbs.

He was on the team that finished 13th at worlds in 2006, then part of the rebuilding project that helped the United States to a bronze medal in Beijing two years later. Now that Paul and Morgan Hamm are gone for good, Horton knows he's under the microscope as the road to London in 2012 begins.

He didn't disappoint over two solid days in Dallas.

The highlight of his night came, as usual, on the high bar, where he strung together three solid release moves and caught the bar cleanly each time.

This wasn't the amped-up routine he put together in only three days to win the Olympic silver in Beijing - a rare retooling that showed how much winning really meant to him - but most of that routine figures to come back by the time world championships roll around in October.

For this week, solid and simple was more than enough. Good enough, in fact, that he didn't even have to sweat his evening-closing pommel horse routine. It's his weakest event, but he had nearly a 5-point lead by then, meaning he could have fallen off two or three times and still won the meet. (He did fall once, and scored only 12.15.)

Horton's path was made easier thanks to the collapse of Sender, who led this meet through the first five events of qualifying Wednesday night. It had the makings of a fantastic story for the defending champion, who is heading off to vet school this weekend and wouldn't have taken a spot on the world team if it had been offered to him.

Not a worry now, not after slipping off parallel bars on his mount, falling off the high bar and landing on his backside during floor exercise - a painful string of mistakes that dropped him out of the running before the evening was half over.

"I walked in here and looked around and had the sudden realization that this is the last time I'm doing this," Sender said. "I was hoping that might raise the adrenaline and get me through it, but it sort of skewed the other way."

That made room for some new contenders, like McNeill, a three-time All-American at Cal, who is filling out his all-around resume to go with his strength on the pommel horse, which was already earning him attention because that's traditionally America's weakest event.

"After having the all-around go so well for me, hopefully people's views of me will change," he said.

And fifth-place finisher Danell Leyva, a 17-year-old who does some big gymnastics, but still doesn't draw as much attention as his Cuban-born coach and step-dad, Yin Alvarez, whose leaping, screaming, post-routine celebrations make Bela Karolyi look like an introvert.

I'm happy but I'm not completely satisfied," Leyva said. "I guess I won't be completely satisfied until I'm in the Olympics.

Horton has been there once, hopes to be there again and doesn't mind being thought of as "The Man" who might lead America to yet another Olympic medal.

"I enjoy that people are looking at me as the leader of the team," he said. "I've wanted that role my whole career."

ROPES AND MATS: Sender was selected to the men's national team based on his 10th-place finish, which means he's entitled to some funding and support. He'll have to resign his position if he sticks with his plan to sit out the rest of the year. ... The men's coaches will select the gymnasts going to worlds Sunday, with Sasha Artemev, who missed this meet because of an injury, in the mix.

Visa Championships: What we learned

2009-09-04T04:40:00.000-07:00

2008 Olympians Bridget Sloan and Jonathan Horton won their first all-around titles this weekend at the Visa Championships. Here’s what we learned:

The 'best club in the world'
That’s how silver medalist Ivana Hong described WOGA, and it’s hard to make a case against that statement, considering the club is home of the past two Olympic all-around champions, Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin. Now, many look to 16-year-old all-around bronze medalist Rebecca Bross to continue the club’s golden tradition. Bross had a front-row seat to Carly Patterson’s Athens preparations, then got four more years of education training with Nastia Liukin. And just like Nastia in 2004, many believed that had Bross been healthy and age-eligible, she could have made the Beijing squad. Bross and Liukin aren’t the only elite gymnasts at WOGA – Hong relocated to the Dallas area after the Beijing Games. Three in a row for WOGA? “I try not to think about it,” Bross said. “But I do dream about it.” (The last time a single club placed two women on the podium at a U.S. Championships was in 1993, when Shannon Miller and Kerri Strug, representing Oklahoma’s Dynamo Gymnastics, finished first and third, respectively.)

Why Bross could be boss
Bross showed her hometown crowd why many consider her, already, a contender for Olympic gold in London. But it wasn’t because of what she did perfectly; it was how she came back from major mistakes on the second day of competition. The first came on bars, when Bross clung to the high bar after one hand slipped off after a high Jaeger. Then, Bross missed the next skill in her routine, a Pak salto (layout flip from the high to the low bar), slamming her ribs into the low bar, a mistake she couldn’t save. And then she made another major mistake on beam, landing her beam dismount – a dismount made famous by Carly Patterson – short and stumbling backwards. Bross, who National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi has praised for her mental toughness, came back on floor and stuck her double-twisting Yurchenko vault in the final rotation to end her competition on a positive note.

Olympics set the stage
Team silver medalists in Beijing, Bridget Sloan and Samantha Peszek, now clubmates at Sharp’s Gymnastics in Indiana, exuded confidence and a special brand of polish in Dallas that can only come with the experience of competing under Olympic-sized pressure. Peszek managed to smile through her tricky beam routine and beamed throughout her upgraded floor set, while Sloan confidently stepped out of her comfort zone and into the spotlight. Both Sloan and Peszek are major contenders – and could be leaders – of the team for the 2009 World Championships (see below).

New rule a step backward
Revisions to the Code of Points include deductions on women’s floor exercise for any tumbling pass that is not truly stuck – taking the traditional “lunge” step backwards can be up to a three-tenth deduction. The rule hasn’t been well received in the gymnastics community, with the major complaint being that it’s even further removing the artistic side of women’s gymnastics. But rules are rules, and this one in particular works in Bridget Sloan’s favor. Sloan has favored landing several of her tumbling passes with her feet together for several years, explaining, “I like to show the judges that I have that much control.” And in this Code, control is exactly what the judges are looking for. Sloan took the all-around lead after her floor routine in the third rotation largely based on her excellent execution score of 9.250, a direct result of her stuck landings on her double pike dismount and opening combination pass.

Four-ward to London
Nastia Liukin, who competed on beam in Dallas, will have two more months of solid training after a whirlwind ride on the post-Olympic circuit. One more world medal would break the tie between Liukin and Shannon Miller, who each have nine world championship medals. Two selection camps, to be held at the National Team Training Center in September and October, will determine the final, four-woman squad for the 2009 Worlds, which will be held in the O2 Arena, the same venue that will host gymnastics at the 2012 Olympic Games.

On the men’s side ...
Olympic high bar silver medalist Jonathan Horton won his first U.S. title, after falling short in 2007 and 2008. Horton, along with Alexander Artemev, Steven Legendre, Danell Leyva, Tim McNeill and David Sender was named to the U.S. men’s world championship team, Artemev sat out Nationals with a back injury, but expects to be back in time to compete on his signature events, pommel horse and parallel bars. Sender, last year’s champion, has said that he’d decline his Worlds spot as he’s scheduled to begin veterinary school at the University of Illlinois Urbana-Champaign.

Liukin, Sloan headed to selection camp

2009-09-04T04:36:00.000-07:00

INDIANAPOLIS -- 2009 U.S. all-around champion Bridget Sloan of Pittsboro, Ind., 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, and their 2008 Olympic team silver-medal teammates Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis., and Samantha Peszek of Indianapolis, Ind., are among the 16 women on the U.S. Senior National Team invited to participate in the first of two selection camps for the 2009 World Championships, Oct. 13-18, in London, England.

Four gymnasts will be named to the U.S. Women’s Team for the 2009 World Championships, which features competition in the all-around and individual events, along with two or three non-traveling alternates. The first selection camp is Sept. 8-12, and based on performances at that camp, a minimum of eight gymnasts will be invited to the second and final selection camp Sept. 30-Oct. 4. Both camps will be held at the U.S. Women’s National Training Center in Huntsville, Texas.

The gymnasts invited to the first camp, who are also members of the senior national team, are listed below.

Jana Bieger, Coconut Creek, Fla., Bieger International Gymnastics
Rebecca Bross, Plano, Texas, WOGA Gymnastics
Mackenzie Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., Naperville Gymnastics Club
Kaitlyn Clark, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Precision Gymnastics
Olivia Courtney, Orlando, Fla., Orlando Metro Gymnastics
Ivana Hong, Lovejoy, Texas, WOGA Gymnastics
Kytra Hunter, Frederick, Md., Hill's Gymnastics
Alaina Johnson, Tyler, Texas, Texas East Gymnastics
Mattie Larson, Los Angeles, All-Olympia
Nastia Liukin, Parker, Texas, WOGA Gymnastics
Chellsie Memmel, West Allis, Wis., M&M Gymnastics
Samantha Peszek, Indianapolis, Ind., Sharp's Gymnastics
Samantha Shapiro, Los Angeles, All-Olympia
Bridget Sloan, Pittsboro, Ind., Sharp's Gymnastics
Cassandra Whitcomb, Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Gymnastics,
Kayla Williams, Nitro, W.V., Gym Nest Inc.

Content courtesy of: USA Gymnastics

Roster set for Rhythmic Gymnastics Worlds

2009-09-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- 2009 U.S. all-around champion Ava Gehringer of Evanston, Ill., and Julie Zetlin of Bethesda, Md., will represent the United States at the 2009 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, Sept. 7-13, in Mie, Japan. Competing in the group competition for the U.S. are North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center’s Stephanie Flaksman of Northbrook, Ill.; Megan Frohlich of Marysville, Wash.; Kristin Kaye of Northbrook, Ill.; Sydney Sachs of Deerfield, Ill.; Sofya Roytburg of Buffalo Grove, Ill.; and Marlee Shape of Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Gehringer, who trains at North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, won the gold medal in the all-around, rope, hoop, ball and ribbon at the 2009 Visa Championships. Zetlin, who trains at Rhythmflex, was third in the all-around, rope, ball and ribbon. North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center won the 2008 U.S. national group title.

The 2009 U.S. World Championships Team was selected following a training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.C.

Held in Mie’s Sun Arena, the competition schedule is: Sept. 7-8, rope and hoop, with individual event finals on Sept. 8; Sept. 9-10, competition in ball and ribbon, with individual event finals for both on Sept. 10; Sept. 11, individual all-around; Sept. 12, general group competition; and Sept. 13, group finals (hoop, ribbon/rope). The individual event competition on Sept.7-10 determines the team rankings and the top 24 gymnasts who advance to the individual all-around.

Dumais nets 29th national title Saturday with 3m springboard victory

2009-09-04T04:17:00.001-07:00

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Three-time Olympian Troy Dumais captured his 29th national title Saturday, winning the senior men’s 3-meter springboard at the U.S. Summer National Diving Championships at the Morcom Aquatic Center.

Dumais, who won the 1-meter national title on Thursday, finished more than 27 points ahead of runner-up Jevon Tarantino in the final round, scoring 511.80. He said that right now he feels he’s on cruise control.

“I’ve trained all year and I’m just going with it,” Dumais said. “I had just won silver [in the 3-meter and synchronized 3-meter events] at the world championships and I didn’t want to lose at nationals. I just went with the mindset that whatever happens, happens and not look back at the negative, but just look ahead to the positive.”

Tarantino came back from his silver in the 3-meter springboard to win the synchronized 3-meter springboard title with teammate Christopher Colwill, scoring 440.43. Katherine Bell won the senior women’s platform title with a 346.95 score in the finals, while Kaylea Arnett and Michelle Cabassol won the synchronized women’s platform title with a score of 316.08.

It was the third straight national title in that event for Arnett and Cabassol, both 16 years old.

It feels great,” Cabassol said. “We kept our title and had fun doing it.

Dumais nets 29th national title Saturday with 3m springboard victory

2009-09-04T04:17:00.000-07:00

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Three-time Olympian Troy Dumais captured his 29th national title Saturday, winning the senior men’s 3-meter springboard at the U.S. Summer National Diving Championships at the Morcom Aquatic Center.

Dumais, who won the 1-meter national title on Thursday, finished more than 27 points ahead of runner-up Jevon Tarantino in the final round, scoring 511.80. He said that right now he feels he’s on cruise control.

“I’ve trained all year and I’m just going with it,” Dumais said. “I had just won silver [in the 3-meter and synchronized 3-meter events] at the world championships and I didn’t want to lose at nationals. I just went with the mindset that whatever happens, happens and not look back at the negative, but just look ahead to the positive.”

Tarantino came back from his silver in the 3-meter springboard to win the synchronized 3-meter springboard title with teammate Christopher Colwill, scoring 440.43. Katherine Bell won the senior women’s platform title with a 346.95 score in the finals, while Kaylea Arnett and Michelle Cabassol won the synchronized women’s platform title with a score of 316.08.

It was the third straight national title in that event for Arnett and Cabassol, both 16 years old.

“It feels great,” Cabassol said. “We kept our title and had fun doing it.”

Celebs in the mix

2009-09-04T04:11:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games are set to start Saturday, Feb. 7. Opening ceremonies will mark the beginning of the 40th anniversary for the games. A number of high profile musicians, athletes, and actors are scheduled to be attending the festivities. Some of these celebrities include:

-First Lady of Panama --- Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos
-Her Royal Highness Princess of Morocco -- Lalla Amina
-Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
-Representative Mike Simpson (R-Idaho)
-Governor C.L. Butch Otter (Idaho)
-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (California)
-First Lady of California -- Maria Shriver
-Actress/Musician -- Vanessa Williams
-Actor/Comedian -- Tom Arnold
-Actor/Comedian -- Johnny Knoxville
-Actress -- Mariel Hemingway
-Musician/Artist -- Darius Rucker
-Musician/Artist -- Kenny G
-Actor -- Scott Glenn
-TV Personality (ABC The Bachelor) -- Lt. Andy Baldwin
-Olympic Figure Skater -- Scott Hamilton
-Olympic Gymnast -- Bart Conner
-Olympic Gymnast -- Nadia Comaneci
-Olympic Swimmer -- Donna de Verona
-Former NBA Star -- Sam Perkins
-South African football player -- Lucas Radebe
-Peruvian football player -- Tefilo Cubillas
-Olympic Skier -- Billy Kidd
-Olympic Speedskater -- Casey FitzRandolph
-Olympic Gymnast/Singer -- Carly Patterson
-Olympic Figure Skater -- Kristi Yamaguchi

Stay up to date with the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games at universalsports.com/specialolympics.

Idaho to host Special Olympics Winter Games for first time

2009-09-04T04:07:00.001-07:00

The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games will commence Feb. 7, with opening ceremonies taking place at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho.

The 9th edition of the Games, taking place in the Boise, Idaho area for the first time, marks a special anniversary for the Special Olympics, 40 years after the group’s founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver put together the first ever games in Chicago.

In 1968, about 1,000 athletes from 26 U.S. states and Canada competed in three sports at the first Special Olympics World Summer Games.

In 1977, 500 athletes shared the experience of the inaugural World Winter Games. This year, Boise will host the largest multi-day sporting event in state history, as close to 2,500 athletes from over 100 countries are expected to participate.

Competition will take place from Feb. 8-11. Athletes will participate in seven different sports. They include alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, floor hockey snowboarding snowshoeing and speed skating.

A Motor Activities Training Program (MAPT) for those with intellectual disabilities more profound than the athletes in the Games, is scheduled for Feb. 12. The MAPT events stress participation more than competition. Athletes, coaches, sponsors and fans will then gather for closing ceremonies the following day at the Idaho Center.

Universal Sports will provide daily coverage of the Games that will include news, daily photo galleries and video highlights.

Idaho to host Special Olympics Winter Games for first time

2009-09-04T04:07:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games will commence Feb. 7, with opening ceremonies taking place at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho.

The 9th edition of the Games, taking place in the Boise, Idaho area for the first time, marks a special anniversary for the Special Olympics, 40 years after the group’s founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver put together the first ever games in Chicago.

In 1968, about 1,000 athletes from 26 U.S. states and Canada competed in three sports at the first Special Olympics World Summer Games.

In 1977, 500 athletes shared the experience of the inaugural World Winter Games. This year, Boise will host the largest multi-day sporting event in state history, as close to 2,500 athletes from over 100 countries are expected to participate.

Competition will take place from Feb. 8-11. Athletes will participate in seven different sports. They include alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, floor hockey, snowboarding, snowshoeing and speed skating.

A Motor Activities Training Program (MAPT) for those with intellectual disabilities more profound than the athletes in the Games, is scheduled for Feb. 12. The MAPT events stress participation more than competition. Athletes, coaches, sponsors and fans will then gather for closing ceremonies the following day at the Idaho Center.

Universal Sports will provide daily coverage of the Games that will include news, daily photo galleries and video highlights.