Ferrari Backs Down to Ford Over Trademark Dispute

VOA Breaking News

Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari has agreed to use the full name of its new Formula One race car following a trademark dispute with American automaker Ford.

In a statement Thursday, Ferrari said it had not used the abbreviated F150 name commercially but would refer to the car in all areas of operation by its full name, the “Ferrari F150th Italia.” The race car's name celebrates the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification.

Ford sued Ferrari in Detroit federal court Wednesday contending the Italian carmaker had violated its trademark over the pickup truck name F-150. Ford has been using the F-150 name since 1975 and has had a trademark on it since 1995. The Ford F-150 truck is one of the company's most popular vehicles. 

A Ford spokesperson said that the motive behind the lawsuit was to prevent the Ford F-150 brand from being “diluted.” Ferrari said it was “very difficult to understand Ford's viewpoint on the matter,” believing its race car “cannot be confused with any other types of commercially available vehicle.”

The Formula One season starts March 13 at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir.

1978 Alfa Romeo Spider Niki Lauda F.1 Specifications

The following specifications are for the Niki Lauda F.1 special edition Alfa Romeo Spider.  The car was available only in red.

Chassis
Body Style	2-passenger Roadster
Drivetrain
Layout	Front engine, rear drive
Exterior Dimensions
Length	161.3"
Width	64.4"
Height	50.6"
Wheelbase	88.7"
Track (F/R)	52.3"/50.3"
Engine
Type	Inline 4-cylinder
Displacement	120 cu. in./1962cc
Bore & Stroke	3.3" x 3.5" 84mm x 88.5mm
Compression Ratio	9.0:1
Valvetrain	Dual Overhead Camshaft (DOHC)
Materials	Aluminum block, aluminum head
Construction	5 main bearings
Fuel System	Mechanical fuel injection
Horsepower (SAE Net)	110hp
Torque (SAE Net)	121 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm
Oil Capacity	7.1 quarts
Cooling System Capacity	2.5 gallons
Transmission & Final Drive
Transmission	5-speed manual
Differential	Limited Slip
Final Drive Ratio	4.5:1
Suspension & Steering
Front	Indepedent w/inclined A-arms, coil springs, double-action shocks, anti-roll bar
Rear	Live axle, coil springs, double-action shocks, anti-roll bar, torque tee
Steering	Recirculating ball
Turns, Lock-to-Lock	3.5
Turning Circle, Curb-to-Curb	34.5'
Brakes, Wheels & Tires
Front Brakes	9.84" disc w/power assist
Rear Brakes	9.84" disc w/power assist
Wheels	5.5Jx14 cast magnesium
Tires	165 HR14 steel belted radial
Tire Pressure (F/R)	24 psi/24 psi
Weights & Capacities
Curb Weight	2550 lbs.
Fuel Capacity	12 gallons
Performance
0-30 mph	5.1 seconds*
0-40 mph	7.3 seconds*
0-50 mph	10.4 seconds*
0-60 mph	14.3 seconds*
0-70 mph	19.3 seconds*
0-80 mph	26.34 seconds*
Quarter Mile	19.2 seconds @ 73.0 mph
30-0 mph	37.9'*
60-0 mph	166.0'*
Power to Weight Ratio	23.2 lbs./horsepower
Economy
EPA Estimate	18 mpg city/26 mpg highway
EPA Weighted Average	21.0 mpg
Motor Trend 73-mile Test Loop	23.2 mpg*
Price
Base Price	$9,295

*=As tested by Motor Trend, July 1978

Source:  http://www.carsandracingstuff.com/library/s/spider.php

Fires Force Ferrari Recall of 458 Italia Supercars

VOA News
September 2, 2010 at 1:50 pm

Legendary Italian carmaker Ferrari, which builds the quarter-million-dollar 458 Italia sports car, is recalling more than 1,200 of the fabled machines, after reports of the supercars bursting into flames. 

The recall, announced Thursday, affects all 1,248 owners of the sleek two-seater, which generates a top speed of 325 kilometers an hour. It was issued after pictures and video of several burned cars were posted on the Internet. 

Ferrari, based in the northern Italian town of Maranello, blames the fires on an adhesive holding the heat shield in place near the wheel arch assembly. The company says the adhesive ignited during what it called "extreme uses in very high temperature." 

Under the recall, the company says the glue will be replaced with metal fasteners. 

Ferrari says five fires have been reported in the United States, Switzerland, China and France. 

NHTSA Recall 10V389000

Vehicle Make / Model:          Model Year(s):
     FERRARI / 458        2010
Manufacturer: FERRARI NORTH AMERICA INC  Mfr's Report Date: AUG 31, 2010
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 10V389000  
N/A
NHTSA Action Number: N/A
Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Potential Number of Units Affected: 303
Summary:
FERRARI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 458 ITALIA VEHICLES. THE HEAT
CREATED BY THE ENGINE COULD CAUSE POSSIBLE DEFORMATION OF THE REAR RIGHT HAND
AND LEFT HAND WHEELHOUSE AND HEAT SHIELD ASSEMBLIES. THE ASSEMBLY COULD COME
EXCESSIVELY CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAUSING THE BONDING ADHESIVE USED IN
THE ASSEMBLY TO OVERHEAT AND PRODUCE SMOKE.
Consequence:
UNDER PARTICULARLY HIGH AMBIENT OPERATING TEMPERATURE THIS COULD CAUSE THE
ADHESIVE TO IGNITE, RESULTING IN A VEHICLE FIRE AND/OR RENDERING THE VEHICLE
INOPERABLE AND POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE EXISTING HEAT SHIELDS AND BONDING ADHESIVE FROM THE
RIGHT HAND AND LEFT HAND REAR WHEELHOUSES, AND INSTALL NEW PROTECTIVE HEAT
SHIELDS ON THE RIGHT HAND AND LEFT HAND REAR WHEELHOUSES. THIS SERVICE WILL
BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING
SEPTEMBER 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FERRARI AT 201-816-2600.
Notes:
FERRARI SAFETY RECALL NO. 51. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY
TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236
(TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG: The Reincarnation Of The Red Sow

Janelle Elizabeth
http://www.lovethisproduct.com

 

It has been almost forty years since the initial surprise debut of the 4-door AMG saloon. Today, history repeats itself. This time, it is with the "off track special" which is based on the wonderful 420kW S63 Red Sow. 

The four door 300SEL 6.8 was known as the Red Sow because of its colour, which was red. During the 1971 24 heures de Spa-Francorchamps race, it was the heaviest and fastest monster by a good margin, and it eventually finished in 2nd place. To commemorate the comeback of the Red Sow, Mercedes-Benz invited the prime car lovers and media to Bernie Ecclestone's Le Castellet circuit at the southern region of France. The main attraction of the pit were the re-engine 2011 S63 AMG that was liveried up to match up the 1971 racer, along with seasoned time travelers Hans Heyer and the driver of the first Red Sow, Clemens Schickentanz.

Even though the 2011 automobile basically uses a stock body, it also exhibits flared wings, a 20 inch wheel and tyre that is the widest pairing available, a fairly modified spoiler kit, and low-drag mirrors. Nice period splashes which are similar to the first Red Sow include rubber latches to hold the lids, sports a no bumber design, and a reasonably conditional roll-cage that boasts a huge single transverse column, which did wonders in strengthening a particularly inflexible four door design. 

As opposed to the first Red Sow which has 4 Bosch foot-ball sized auxiliary driving lights, the 2011 S63 AMG make do with rounded Bosh stickers that have no less than LEDs. Enough to accelerate the automobile that weighs a colossal 2.1 tons from -100km/h in 4.4 seconds, is its twin turbo 5.5-liter V8, which collects 420kW at 660 rounds each minute and 900Nm from 2500 to 3750 rpm. In addition, the Performance Kit has compound brakes, a 275/35 front and 325/30 sports suspension that involve 45mm flares all around. The same 7-speed AT transmission as the Mercedes-Benz SL63 is used in the S63. 

The theory is that, the new Red Sow may effortlessly break the 320 km/h or 200mph barriers with flying colours. Nevertheless, the significant weight that is put into the huge downforce would just possibly put plenty of strain the tires. 

Design wise, the new vehicle is really a chauffeur's car rather than a racer. Its gear selector is column-mounted, and the instrumentation can only be considered modern if we were in the design freeze of 2001. Dimensionally, the brand new Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG has obviously been subjected to a fattening diet program to say the least. On the other hand, once you have 420kW and 900Nm to handle, you truly can't complain.

----------------------------------------------------
In theory, the brand new Red Sow might effortlessly break the 320 km/h or 200mph boundaries with little effort. Nevertheless, the substantial weight which is put into the high downforce would likely place a lot of strain the front and back tires. Discover more facts about Mercedez-Benz cars at http://www.luxurycarssydney.com.au

2010-2011 Jaguar XK Recall

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/results.cfm?rcl_id=10V332&searchtype=quicksearch&summary=true&refurl=email


NHTSA Campaign ID number : 10V332000

Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
JAGUAR / XK 2010-2011
Manufacturer: JAGUAR LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA, LLC Mfr's Report Date: JUL 21, 2010
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 10V332000
N/A
NHTSA Action Number: N/A
Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Potential Number of Units Affected: 5048
Summary:
JAGUAR IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010-2011 JAGUAR XK AND MODEL YEAR 2010 XF V8 5.OL GASOLINE ENGINE VEHICLES. THE IN-TANK ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP MAY NOT BE CORRECTLY ACTIVATED AS THE FUEL PUMP RELAY IS NOT ENERGIZED FOLLOWING A VEHICLE START UP CYCLE. AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE COULD RESULT.
Consequence:
FUEL STARVATION TO THE ENGINE LEADS TO ENGINE STUMBLE FOLLOWED BY ENGINE CUT OUT WITH MINIMAL WARNING AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL DOWNLOAD REVISED SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 30, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT JAGUAR AT 1-800-452-4827.
Notes:
JAGUAR SAFETY RECALL NO. J017. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

The Sad Demise of the American USF1 Formula 1 Team

Lemmy Gibson
June 25, 2010

 

Formula 1 has always seemed to have a hostile relationship with America. It is difficult to know why, but there certainly seems to be a curse associated with the relationship. The news in 2009 that an American Formula 1 team would be launched was met with much ado. Alas, the USF1 Team never even made to the track and has now been permanently banned from the sport. 

The team was the idea of Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson. Both had a long history in motorsports and Windsor in particular had been involved in the running of major teams like McLaren. The two promised a new way of running a team in a financially responsible manner. The promises were never kept. 

USF1 looked to be in trouble from the start. Part of it was pure bad luck and a certain lack of common sense. Launching a Formula 1 team in the middle of the Great Recession was not exactly a move that forecast success. The fact the team ran into funding problems almost immediately could only have been a surprise to Windsor and Anderson. They obviously thought they had backing when they really did not. 

Following the failure to make the grid, USF1 was a going concern in name only. Eventually, the World Motor Sport Council launched an investigation into what went wrong. It has just released its findings and they are not pleasant. The investigators determined Windsor and Anderson had badly underestimated the cost of launching and running a team, and thus had no realistic hope of every making the grid. Given this, the council fined the team 225,000 pounds and barred it from ever competing in the championship in the future. 

So, now what? Will we see another American Formula 1 team launched at some point? It seems very unlikely. The only hope would seem to be a groundswell of support arising from the new race to be held in Austin, Texas for the next 10 years. Based on past excursions into the United States by F1, I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.

Lemmy Gibson writes and rants at PullingGsRacing.com where you can get the latest commentary on Formula One results. 

Source: Amazines.com

Rolex series hits the high banks of Daytona, Florida for the 100th Daytona prototype Race

Wikinews
July 1, 2010
 

In January 2003, the Grand American Rolex Sorts Car Series debuted the Daytona Prototype (DP) class, its new premier class at that year's Rolex 24 at Daytona. Seven years Later, the class reached a milestone. This weekend's Brumos Porche 250 at Daytona marked the 100th race in the DP era. 

The biggest story coming into the race was about the 01 Telmex Chip Ganassi BMW Riley. The team had technical violations that were discovered after the previous race at Mid-Ohio. The subsequent penalties (25 team, driver, and manufacturer's points and $15,000 fine) had cut Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas' lead in the standings from 32 to 7. 

The extra 75 pounds hurt the BMW powered cars in qualifying. The 01 Telmex Chip Ganassi BMW Riley only qualified 4th, But that didn't slow the team down. Pruett, driving the second and final stint, drove away from the Starworks Motorsports BMW of Ryan Dalziel and Mike Forest, moving the No. 01 drivers' points lead to 13 ahead of Dalziel. 

They lead the team standings by 25 ahead of the the Sun Trust Racing team of Ricky Taylor and Max Angelleli. 

Pruett and Rojas also had to overcome startling temperatures in the car that resembled a heat sink, to give Ganassi his second Daytona victory this season. He won NASCAR's Daytona 500 with Jamie McMurray in February. 

"Look at our suits, they are soaked head to toe," Pruett told reporters about the heat. "I think we probably sweat five, six, seven, eight pounds. It was incredible, the humidity and everything. 

"Maybe we should put a temperature gauge up on he dashboard." As for the extra weight, especially under braking: "I don't know how to describe it, try running a sprint with a backpack . . . slow down, it's not the same," Rojas said. 

The duo led 40 of 83 laps. 

The triumph also was the sixth in eight Grand-Am races for Pruett and Rojas this season. They were second in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 13th at Lime Rock where they were wrecked on the first lap. 

Andy Lally drove the No. 66 TRG Porsche to the victory in GT, teaming with co-driver R.J. Valentine who was in the car for the first time in a year-and-a- half. It was Lally's third victory this season with three different sets of co-drivers

Pruett grabbed the lead in NASCAR Turn 3 on Lap 46, with just a little more than an hour remaining, and steadily built his lead to the victory clinching 24.3 seconds. The triumph was Pruett's 28th in 100 Grand-Am starts and the 29th for Ganassi.

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.  It was not selected for publication at Wikinews.