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Michael Schumacher is The Stig

June 22nd 2009 04:50
Michael Schumacher The Stig
The Stig's famous white helmet comes off....


The British version of Top Gear has just returned to air for its 13th season last night and boy did "the three musketeers" (Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May) have the studio audience all worked up with a surprise unmasking of tame racing driver, the Stig!


And believe it or not, it was the face of legendary F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher that appeared beneath the famous white helmet.



What a coup for Top Gear UK and an unbelievable way to start off another season of the world's most popular motoring show. Sure, the odds of Schumi actually being the full-time Stig is as slim as, well, getting laid with Jessica Alba, but props to TGUK for another hilarious and complete unexpected take on one of the net's most hotly debated topics: Who is The Stig?

Michael Schumacher The Stig
...and its Michael Schumacher!!!


We're no closer to finding out the real identity of the Stig but this gag will be talked about for quite some time to come.


Oh, and just in case you were wondering why Schumacher was on Top Gear - he was behind the wheel of a Ferrari FXX for a hot lap around the Top Gear test track. Check out the video and stunning lap-time below!




[Source: BBC, Youtube]









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Ford's PowerShift dual-clutch gearbox

January 22nd 2009 04:30
Ford PowerShift gearbox


Ford has become the latest car maker to introduce a dual-clutch gearbox to its lineup in North America starting with the small-car segment in 2010. Dubbed PowerShift, the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox is essentially two manual transmissions working in parallel, each with its own independent clutch unit. One clutch carries the odd gears - 1, 3 and 5 - while the other takes of the even gears – 2, 4 and 6 - and reverse.

"PowerShift represents a true competitive advantage for Ford and is one of the many technologies that will help our global small-car platforms set a new world standard for efficiency and drive quality," said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Global Powertrain Engineering.

"This advanced six-speed is an improvement over today's automatic transmissions in terms of fuel economy, while providing customers an even more fun-to-drive experience."

Ford PowerShift gearbox


In North America, a dry-clutch derivative of Ford's PowerShift transmission will be used for added efficiency and durability - as opposed to the wet-clutch system used in the European Ford Focus. A dry clutch transmits power and torque through manual transmission clutch facings, while most automatic transmissions utilize wet clutch plates submerged in oil. Consequently, the dry-clutch PowerShift transmission does not require an oil pump or torque converter, providing superior mechanical efficiency.

"A dry clutch is a real sweet spot for lighter vehicle applications," said Piero Aversa, manager, Ford Automatic Transmission Engineering.

"PowerShift is more efficient, it saves weight, is more durable, more efficient and the unit is sealed for life, requiring no regular maintenance."

Unique driving features for the PowerShift gearbox includes:

• Neutral coast down – The clutches will disengage when the brakes are applied, improving coasting downshifts and clutch robustness as well as reducing parasitic losses for increased fuel economy.

• Precise clutch control in the form of a clutch slip to provide torsional damping of the engine vibration – This function improves noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) at low engine speeds and enables lower lugging limits for improved fuel economy.

• Low-speed driving or creep mode with integrated brake pressure – This function simulates the low-speed control drivers are accustomed to from an automatic transmission. The amount of rolling torque in Drive and Reverse is precisely controlled, gradually building as brake pressure is released.

• Hill mode or launch assist – Prevents a vehicle from rolling back on a grade by maintaining brake pressure until the engine delivers enough torque to move the vehicle up the hill, providing improved driver confidence, comfort, safety and clutch robustness.

• Reduces fuel consumption by up to 9 percent depending on the application.


[Source: Ford]









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Honda: POLAR III Revolutionary Pedestrian Dummy

October 27th 2008 05:15
Honda POLAR III Pedestrian Dummy


In Australia, one in six people killed in fatal road crashes between 2001 and 2005 was a pedestrian and to this day, an average of 91 pedestrians are killed in road crashes each year. Honda, one of the leaders in automotive safety, became the first manufacturer in the world to develop a pedestrian crash test dummy that reproduced the human body’s kinematics during vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions


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Top Gear Live: Jezza, Hamster, Capt. Slow invades London in tank

September 4th 2008 00:15
Top Gear hosts tank


As Australia anticipates the arrival of our own version of Top Gear on September 29, the original UK hosts - Jeremy Clarkson (Jezza), Richard Hammond (Hamster) and James May (Captain Slow) - are about to embark on their UK and world tour


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Holden produces 7 millionth Vehicle

August 20th 2008 00:15
Holden's 7th million vehicle


Holden has welcomed its seventh million vehicle off the production line at the company's Elizabeth manufacturing facilities in Adelaide in the year of its 60th birthday


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Lamborghini hanging on the wall

August 14th 2008 00:15
Lamborghini Countach on the wall


A US millionaire, Richard Moriarty, has decorated a wall in his new $2 million dollar on Newport Beach with a full-sized 1974 Lamborghini Countach


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Toyota F1 to promote new Batman flick

July 3rd 2008 00:15
Batmobile
Batmobile laps the Silverstone racetrack


In recent years, film companies have turned to the glamorous world of Formula One to promote their latest films (think Red Bull and the Star Wars promotion a few years back) and today, the Toyota F1 team has announced plans to promote the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight, in this coming weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone


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Record sales for Hyundai in June 2008

July 2nd 2008 06:15
Hyundai Tucson City SX
Hyundai Tucson City SX


Hyundai Australia has announced its best ever sales result in the month of June on the back of its overwhelmingly successful ESP Stability Control campaign
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Record sales for Mazda in May 2008

June 9th 2008 04:15
2009 Mazda RX-8


Mazda Australia have recorded sales figures of 6,530 new passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles for the month of May 2008 - a result that is up 3% on the previous May record of 6,345 set last year


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Lewis Hamilton's dad crashes rare Porsche Carrera GT

June 6th 2008 11:15
Porsche Carrera GT crashed


When F1 driver Lewis Hamilton was invited to be a guest on Top Gear's "Star in a reasonably-priced car" segment, he told Jeremy Clarkson that his dad still thinks he [Hamilton Snr] was the better driver


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5-star crash-test rating for Hyundai i30, Renault Laguna & Mitsubishi Lancer

June 5th 2008 06:45
Hyundai i30
Hyundai i30 hatchback


The Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) have awarded five stars to the Hyundai i30, Mitsubishi Lancer and Renault Laguna III for occupant protection in their latest vehicle crash report


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Lexus tops J.D. Power satisfaction index

June 2nd 2008 00:15
Lexus IS-F
The new Lexus IS-F high performance sedan


Luxury Japanese marque Lexus has taken out the prestigious UK J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction index for the eighth consecutive year, beating 28 other car manufacturers to take out the Gold Award for customer satisfaction - an award which it has won every year since it became eligible for the awards


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Top Gear Australia hosts announced

May 29th 2008 05:30
Top Gear Australia hosts
Top Gear Australia hosts: Charlie Cox, Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati


The UK Top Gear motoring show with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May has been an international ratings success and now the Australian version of the cult show - with our own hosts - aims to replicate this success on local TV


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Sayonara: Super Aguri F1 Team

May 7th 2008 22:15
Super Aguri F1 race car


Once in a while, we feel compelled to bring you the latest news from the world of motorsport and the demise of the Super Aguri F1 Team is most worthy of a post on ZCars


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