A true performance sedan represents the 423-hp Lexus with its 5.0-liter V8 engine that delivers true speed orgies. With an even more dynamic suspension of the Japanese fast now starts in the Lexus IS F model year 2013. Lexus revised the spring rates of the high-performance sedan and agreed the Sachs shock absorber with respect to an even sportier driving experience from new. Additionally there is a “self-healing” paint outside.

Thanks to the newly developed, flexible and thus to a certain degree “self-healing” clearcoat, to the Lexus IS F offers a top finish for the life. If there is a scratch, the new paint depending on the outside temperature and depth of the damage in a few days to restore the original condition of the body surface. Also to be found with “Satin Silver” and “Fuji White Glass Flake” two new exterior colors on offer. The latter achieved by mixing of very fine glass particles a special metallic effect.

For driving the Lexus IS F of known naturally aspirated V8 engine with 423 horsepower at 6,600 rpm provides / min and a maximum torque of 505 Nm, which is at 5,200 trips. Power is transmitted via an eight-speed automatic transmission with direct switching function to the rear wheels. The IS F accelerates from a standstill in 4.8 seconds to 100 km / h, top speed is electronically limited to 270 km h /. In contrast, an average consumption of 11.6 liters per 100 kilometers is (CO2 emissions 270 g / km).

To racing performance is joined by a comfortable standard equipment, the design makes the Lexus IS F for everyday use. For extra comfort on long journeys, the Japanese replaced the optional multimedia system in the 2013 model year by the latest generation of 8-inch color LCD monitor, DVD player, DAB audio and Remote Touch control system. Prices for the factory fully equipped IS F starts at 70,600 euros.

Lexus IS F News

Mark Martin grabs the pole for the 54th time in his career.

Mark Martin proves every time he comes to the track, that you are never too old to go out and play with the boys.  At 53 years old Martin is the oldest full time driver in the NASCAR garage but you would never know it to talk to him.  His workout schedule is one that many of the younger drivers have a hard time keeping up with, and no matter what hes always got a smile on his face.  The biggest kid on the block will lead the field to the green flag, in his 840th start, for todays FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

With conditions being very slick and getting worse as each driver ran their qualifying runs, Mark Martin knew it would be a challenge to remain the fastest car on the track as he was during the first round of practice.  After watching Jimmie Johnson get a little loose on his provisional run that had Johnson sitting on the pole as Martin began his run, he knew it wasnt going to be easy.

Ill never do that again, quipped Martin after his run. I anticipated the car being loose, but I didnt ask [crew chief] Rodney [Childers] if he tightened it up. I knew the conditions were looser than they were in our mock qualifying run [Friday], and I didnt want to ask him because I didnt want to be concerned.

I knew that I only had to make it one mile without wrecking, and I was going to drive to the limit and slightly beyond, and I felt like I did that. I wouldnt want to do that again. But I couldnt sit on these poles without the fastest race car, and MWR [Michael Waltrip Racing] and Rodney Childers in particular and the guys on our team are doing that.

Jonson knew he had set an excellent time, but he also felt that he had left a little bit of speed out there when he wiggled loose out of turns 2 and 4 and felt he just did not get all the power to thee ground.

The lap was pretty strong, Johnson said of his second-place run. I knew off the corner, off [Turns] 2 and 4, I just couldnt get the power down, being loose, and I left a little on the table. I felt it was more like a 10th [of a second], 10th and a half that I left out there, and Mark found five thousandths

Qualifyings never been my strong suit, but Ive been second a lot. But it is what it is. On the track, Ill just have to take care of it and do a little better job there.

The Hendrick cars in general made vast improvements over their speeds from the first practice session into the second.  At the end of the second round of practice the Hendrick cars of Gordon, Earnhardt Jr, and Jimmie Johnson sat 2,3,4 on the time sheets respectively.  Johnson will start on the outside of row 1 while Gordon and Jr will start 14th and 17th respectively.  Watch for these cars to make moves early and make their way to the front of the pack with the speeds they have shown they are capable of.

Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth round out the rest of the top 5 for the start of todays race.

Notable names not near the front of the pack are Tony Stewart who struggled in practice and will start the race back from the 29th position.  A.J. Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose who have been running and qualifying well of late will start back in the 23rd and 21st positions respectively.

Related posts:

1. NASCAR Mark Martin Takes The Pole For Phoenix Hendricks Teams Look For Big Rebound
2. NASCAR Mark Martin Takes the Pole for Talladega Proving You Are Never Too Old to Go Fast
3. NASCAR Mark Martin Edges Out Trevor Bayne for the Pole at Daytona
4. NASCAR Mark Martin Leads the Field, Drivers Playing it Safe, Dale Jr Fastest in Practice
5. NASCAR Truex Jr Brings Home the Pole for the Third Chase Race of 2011 at Dover

Sorry for the delay folks, but I am pleased to report my second installment for the Go Further With Ford trend conference. In case you missed it, The Garage was chosen from an elite group of bloggers to attend this years Go Further With Ford event. Day one consisted of a series of interesting panel discussions which provided a glimpse of where Ford is headed.

For Day Two, Ford drove us to Dearborn proving grounds-the test track. Just to be there was a thrill. The cars you buy from the dealer are tested and fine-tuned right here. You get a sense of the seriousness of the facility with a control tower, much like an airport, overseeing all track activity.

As a car guy with some, but limited race track experience, my hopes of being unleashed on the proving grounds were dashed. Which I can understand. As a car guy, I was in the minority here, with bloggers representing subjects from the environment, fashion, parenting, etc. Ford would be nuts to let them loose.

But to keep things fun and interesting, we had to complete four tasks. My first challenge was to autocross the all-new 2013 Ford Escape. Our bogey time was 38 seconds, with a two second leeway. Fords intent was for us to push the Escape hard, which I did. I just made the cut, and have the I Love Pandora t-shirt to prove it. In my 40 seconds of driving it, the Escape was nimble and quick off its feet, but look for a full, proper review in the future. In fact, the new Escape will be in my driveway for Labor Day weekend.

Next up was the 2013 Ford Mustang GT. We had three choices. You could drive a Mustang with an automatic. You could drive a Mustang with a manual. You could be driven by a pro driver in a Mustang Boss 302. Ill lay out the conversation:

Ford: Mr. Williams, do you want to be driven on the course by a driver?

Me: No, thank you, I would prefer to drive myself.

Ford: Manual or automatic?

Me: Manual

It was a brief stint, but the Mustang GT was a hell of a ride. I never got higher than third gear on the course Ford provided us. While Ill always prefer driving myself, I have to say the drivers Ford had on hand to give rides on the Boss 302 Stang put on one hell of a show. Full-on power slides and burning rubber was the order of the day for the Boss cars.

And from brute-force muscle car Ford takes me to the new Focus EV for a drive. On a short road course the Focus EV has buckets of torque, rides just as well as the conventional Focus The Garage tested, but what impressed me most was its greater range over the Nissan Leaf. I have been to events where EVs were present, and there was always a desperation to keep a car plugged in. Not so with the Focus. The car simply kept plugging along.

My next challenge was to experience Fords latest technology. I tag-teamed another fellow. His task was to run to a Ford Escape, sync his phone and make a call. Once done, he passes a baton to me where I have to use a Ford Flex to park itself. I confess, I have had cars with this technology but was too fearful to use it. Under the eyes of Ford, I had to, and by golly, it worked. All it took was simply line up near a parking space, and the Flex uses its sensors to find the opening. With nothing more than simple brake modulation, the Flex, by golly, parked itself. My task complete, I hand the baton back to my teammate, who samples another nifty Ford technology with the Escape. With a key on you, all it takes is a swipe of your foot to open and close the rear liftgate. Ingenious stuff for when youre carrying a child or groceries. Yes, it was silly, but a fun way to sample the latest technology available in Ford vehicles.

Last event was an offroad romp in a 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. With a mighty 6.2L V-8 belting out 411hp, the Raptor is the ultimate truck for a muscle car fan. No, we would not be able to drive them-instead members of the Ford SVT team would take us out on Fords off-road course, and positively punish and beat the living snot out of the Raptor. Yes, there were some slow, and extreme angle off-roading that would match any Land Rover, but the emphasis was on the brutal power of the Raptor, as we drifted in a cloud of dust, its V-8 wailing as we pounded the truck. This was no burst of the throttle, dog and pony show. No. I had to wear a race helmet. By the time my ride was over, hanging on for dear life, my camera, cell phone, and car keys had been thrown from my pockets throughout the Raptors interior. In other words, way harder than I ever would have driven it. When I asked the driver after a long morning of punishing the Raptor if it was getting tiring, he simply replied Hey, any other day Id be sitting in a cubicle!

After a catered lunch and some formalities, that pretty much closed out Go Further With Ford for 2012. Leaving Fords proving grounds, I looked on as cars continued to race around the track, the new Fusion more than any other car. For a moment I thought This car is ready for production, but in reality development and fine-tuning never stops. And I did  a double take when I saw a car Id never seen before with no badges whatsoever as it made its way to the track as we pulled out. Hmmm.

With a couple hours to spare at the Detroit Airport, I contemplated the Go Further event. It was my second trip to Dearborn this year, having been in Detroit for the global reveal of the Fusion. There were fewer of us then, and a pronounced international presence. This time around, with about 250 of us who mostly seemed to be American. As a car guy, again, it was interesting to be hosted by a car company with a group of people who have nothing to do with cars. If that doesnt make sense to you, hear me out. Ford is using social  media to promote its product, and as a fellow blogger told me, not all car buyers seek out automotive media outlets to learn about cars, and he is absolutely right.

In the span of two days Ford not only showed the technology they have now, but are fully prepared for a car market that is changing, and by all accounts Ford seems ready for it. Exhausting, yes, but extremely informative and entertaining. It was an honor to be Fords guest, and receive a front row seat to where the company is headed. It was a pleasure sharing the experience with you.

Ford Motor Company paid my airfare, hotel room and meals for this media event, but I was not compensated monetarily.

Related posts:

1. Inside the Ford Brain Trust, The Garage in Detroit Part III
2. The Garage Goes Further with Ford
3. 2012 NAIAS Part I: The Bloggers Descend Upon Dearborn
4. Forgotten Sporty Cars Part I: Ford EXP/Mercury LN7
5. Road test: 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid Part 2

In early 2012, Ford had announced the imminent release of its new 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine of 1 liter. At this time, considering the possibility to slide under the hood of the Focus and Ford Fiesta 2014. It goes without saying that, at first glance, this little mechanical seems better suited to the small size of the sub-compact. However, when you look at its specifications, it could probably also animate the Focus. The price of fuel being what it is, the American manufacturer had a great idea.

Mechanics of Ford Fiesta 2014

This small 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine with double overhead camshaft head was seen at the beginning of the Mondial de l’Automobile in Paris. In terms of North American consumers, it will be the Auto Show in Los Angeles they will for the first time. The power of this small 3-cylinder, 123 hp, compares favorably with that of the 4-cylinder 1.6-liter 120 horsepower found under the hood of the Ford Fiesta 2014 subcompact. It is the same torque reaches 148 lb-ft compared with 112 pounds-feet of 4-cylinder. Consumers should not feel like driving a car with 3 cylinders. This engine offers a very smooth and quiet idle, very good acceleration and very sporty sound.

Innovative technologies of Ford Fiesta 2014

The EcoBoost 3-cylinder 1-liter Ford receives innovative technologies that improve performance and reliability. For example, one can speak of a crankshaft offset from the axis of the piston, oil pump with variable flow, a turbocharger, direct injection of fuel and a belt distribution immersed in oil. In addition, this little mechanical Ford Fiesta 2014 with 25% fewer moving parts than a 4-cylinder engine, it was also calibrated with the crankshaft pulley and flywheel rather than a crankshaft balancer shaft which would have added weight, increased friction and power reduction.

Since its launch in 2012 the Ford Focus in the spring, the EcoBoost 3-cylinder 1-liter has gained some notoriety as it was named Engine of the Year by a jury of 76 automotive journalists from 36 different countries, it also received the Breakthrough Award from Popular Mechanics magazine and the Dewar Trophy UK. In addition, 30% of Focus sold in Europe are powered by this engine.

Ford Fiesta 2014

•  Seat Ibiza Bocanegra, 2010

During its rich history, the German manufacturer of the Stuttgart region has developed and marketed several models of cars, but only the legendary 911 Porsche can claim to be the very soul of the brand. Now broken down into more than twenty distinct variants, the Porsche 911 2012 is more successful than ever in its history, and no other car offers so many variations on a theme.

A 530 horsepower Turbo S

The Porsche 911 2012 Turbo S is part of a small group, or one of the cars able to deliver performance while providing dementia civilized behavior. Despite his lightning acceleration, handling his incisive and powerful braking, the 911 Turbo S is extremely docile in everyday driving, as was the case with our test car, equipped with double box PDK clutch having both an automatic mode. By selecting this mode, the box itself does all the work. It has even been calibrated to ensure the best possible fuel consumption in city driving flexible. The gear change is very fast, to the point where we drive 50 km / h in sixth gear box with the engine running at idle almost. However.

In fast corners, the Porsche 911 2012 Turbo S is extremely fluid changes its trajectory and direction can register the car in curves with high accuracy. As this version is equipped with all-wheel drive, understeer remains, but well controlled, and the car is still very stable. Free acceleration out of corners to the 911 Turbo S delivers its power in a linear and progressive. In fact, it feels very comfortable to explore the limits of the car in a controlled environment, such as a circuit. Porsche 911 2012. If there is one car that betrays his age, this is the style of the dashboard and the general layout of the cabin. In this era of advanced telematics systems, the Porsche 911 2012 is a bit old school, with 33 buttons and a little random location of some controls, but it has the merit to be faithful to a tradition all German.

Imminent overhaul Porsche 911 2012

Produced in limited edition of 500 copies, the recent GT2 RS is a real bomb of 620 horsepower that makes use of carbon fiber for certain body parts, such as front and back covers, to lighten the car.

In fact, during the summer of 2011, several spy photographers have managed to capture in action prototypes of coupes and convertibles for the next generation of the Porsche 911 2012, which carries the code name 991, while they were tested by the engineers of the mark on the famous Nürburgring. According to these pictures, the next 911 is greater than the current model and the rumors that the base model engine develops 345 horsepower. It is expected that the new Porsche 911 2012 is unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

Porsche 911 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•  Ford Escape, 2013

•     A soft-touch instrument panel
•     Wrapped, padded and stitched door armrests
•     Deep padding on console armrests
•     The soft upper roll on doors
•     Elimination of exposed fasteners in glove box and sun visor pivots
•     Available leather-trimmed sport seats with piping on bolster area and contrast stitching

•     Carpeting made from either post-consumer or post-industrial materials. An example of a post-consumer material is plastic thats been recycled, like from beverage bottles. The source for polyester carpeting is about one-third post-consumer and two-thirds post-industrial
•     About 25 20-ounce plastic bottles total are in the carpeting
•     Soy foam in the seats and head restraints
•     Powertrain undershields made from 100 percent recycled plastics
•     More than 10 pounds of scrap cotton recycled from jeans, sweaters, T-shirts and other items otherwise sent to a landfill is used in sound-absorption material
•     Climate control gaskets made from recycled tires
•     Industry-first use of microcellular (MuCell) technology in the injection molding process of the instrument panel, reducing weight by 1 pound and contributing to improved fuel economy. This technology injects microscopic cells to reduce weight without sacrificing dimensional integrity
•     Tailpipe trims are made from polished stainless steel instead of more common and less environmentally friendly chromium-plated trims

•     Hands-free, voice-activated calling via a Bluetooth®-connected mobile phone
•     Hands-free, voice-activated control of a USB-connected digital music player
•     911 Assist, the automated emergency calling service that is free for the life of the vehicle
•     Vehicle Health Report, the on-demand diagnostic and maintenance information service

•     Active park assist
•     Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with cross-traffic alert
•     Rain-sensing wipers
•     Front park assist
•     Rear park assist
•     Rear view camera