The world of GT racing championship is packed with some of the world’s best-looking cars and for the 2020 season, Ferrari is bringing in a new version of their 488 GT3 to the fight in the form of the 2020 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo. So, what has Ferrari done to further improve arguably one of their most successful cars in racing history? (more…)
♦ Lewis Hamilton’s win in Mexico still does not confirm his sixth world title, and he will have to wait till the next round in Texas. His closest rival is his team mate, Valtteri Bottas who is now 74 points behind.
♦ Ferrari started off with an unexpected advantage of pole position for Charles Leclerc when Max Verstappen lost his pole position because he ignored warning flags. However, the Italian team again lost that advantage although Sebastian Vettel’s tyre strategy worked out well in the end.
♦ Daniil Kvyat finished 9th overall but was dropped to 11th when the official results came out. The Toro Rosso driver was given a 10-second post-race time penalty for his last lap incident with Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg. The change in position also lost him and his team 2 points.
♦ Alexander Albon put in a good performance in Mexico, rising as high as third in the running, but the 2-stop strategy he had to use prevented him from pursuing the Mercedes-AMG drivers.
♦ The chances of Hamilton winning in Texas are pretty good as he has won 5 races there over the past 7 years. After collecting another world title, he can decide if he wants to move to Ferrari, Formula E, become an actor (he revealed that he was approached to star in Top Gun 2), or try to save the world in other ways.
Next race in Texas on November 3
Lamborghini Squadra Corse, the carmaker’s motorsports division, looks ahead to the future with two world previews which were presented during the Super Trofeo World Finals in Jerez de la Frontera. A teaser foreshadowed the new 12-cylinder hypercar that will debut in 2020, while the Urus ST-X was taken to a circuit for the first time, driven by 9-time Motocross Champion Tony Cairoli.
The Urus ST-X super sportscar developed by Squadra Corse and designed by the Centro Stile is a track-only machine with no plans for races. It will be produced as a limited edition, with aerodynamic and mechanical specifications designed to bring out the best of the iconic 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine that delivers 830 bhp.
Special features of the Urus ST-X
During the preview, it was possible to view a number of special features of the car such as the large rear wing, the airscoop on the roof, and the racing front bonnet with dual air intakes.
The structure is composed of an aluminium front frame joined to the carbonfibre monocoque, designed to guarantee the highest standards of safety. To house the engine, a steel rollcage was created that maximizes the torsional and bending stiffness characteristics.
The Urus ST-X is equipped with a twin-turbo V8 engine and has a lighter structure. The front features a carbonfibre bonnet with supplementary air intakes and the rear is characterized by the carbon wing and the racing exhausts.
The 6-speed sequential Xtrac transmission has a structural load-bearing function, with respect to the suspension compartment, the arms of which are directly connected to the gearbox, guaranteeing optimal kinematics and a significant improvement in the stiffness to weight ratio. The differential is an innovative mechanical self-locking type that allows the driver to adjust its preload dynamically to optimize driveability depending on the circuit and the conditions of the asphalt.
Lamborghini declares the Urus ST-X as the first Super SUV in the world of racing. The body is dominated by the Verde Mantis (green) colour typical of Lamborghini Squadra Corse, highlighted with red details; the cockpit, reinforced by a tubular roll-bar, features racing seats and a fire extinguishing system.
Electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous self-driving cars are going to be part of our lives in future. In Malaysia, perhaps it will take a while for them to become significant numbers although Edaran Tan Chong Motor is taking the initiative to start selling EVs such as the Nissan LEAF now. Autonomous cars will take a lot longer as our conditions present challenges, particularly in the area of safety.
In the more developed countries, the infrastructure is already well developed to enable autonomous cars to function safely. They need to have good roads and clear signage and not have motorcyclists weaving in and out of traffic. We have a long way to go in these matters…
California is one such place and the west coast state of America has traditionally been an ‘early adopter’ for the auto industry. For this reason, Hyundai Motor, in collaboration with Pony.ai and Via, will start running a fleet of self-driving Hyundai KONA all-electric SUVs around the community of Irvine.
Free shared, on-demand service
Known as BotRide, the free shared, on-demand, autonomous vehicle service will operate on public roads from November 4 this year. Using the BotRide app (iOS and Android), the public can hail an autonomous KONA directly from their smartphone. Via’s advanced algorithms enable multiple passengers to share the same vehicle. The app directs passengers to nearby stops to await pick-up and drop-off, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours, or inconvenient fixed routes and schedules.
“The pilot service introduces BotRide to several hundred Irvine residents, including college students. The goal is to study consumer behaviour in an autonomous ride-sharing environment,” said Christopher Chang, Head of Business Development, Strategy and Technology division, Hyundai Motor Company. “We are going to learn about ecosystems, where the vehicles travel and optimize the customer experience. BotRide, is another example of Hyundai’s ongoing efforts to actively build expertise in mobility technology as well as the company’s commitment to providing more user-friendly mobility services to customers.”
Navigating complex road scenarios
Integrated Hyundai and Pony.ai technologies enable the BotRide vehicles to navigate complex road scenarios safely. These vehicles are equipped with Pony.ai’s latest sensor hardware and proprietary software to identify the precise position of surrounding vehicles, handle pedestrian traffic in urban areas, accurately monitor its surroundings, predict the behaviour of other road-users, and precisely plan actions accordingly. In addition to self-driving capabilities, BotRide is validating its user experience in preparation for a fully driverless future.
BotRide launches with multiple popular destinations where a passenger may hail a ride using the BotRide app. The service area covers several residential, commercial, and institutional points of interest. BotRide’s technology prioritizes passenger-to-system interactions such as automated onboard passenger verification, giving riders the chance to familiarize themselves with technologies expected to become commonplace in an autonomous mobility future.
“Through BotRide, Hyundai is leveraging cutting-edge autonomous vehicle and mobility technologies to introduce a new, safe, and convenient form of transportation to the public,” said Daniel Han, Manager, Advanced Product Strategy, Hyundai Motor America. “The BotRide pilot service represents an important step in the deployment and eventual commercialization of a growing new mobility business. In addition to the technology partners powering BotRide, the broader city and community ecosystem have also played an important role in making BotRide possible.”
The new BMW 3 Series range is getting a lot of attention as of late and what better way to further entice it than to introduce two more variants into the line-up. BMW is proud to introduce their latest additions, the 2020 BMW M340i xDrive Saloon and Touring versions with more racing technology embedded into its superbly comfortable driving experience. (more…)
Race starts at 1:10 pm in Mexico Sunday/3:10 am on Monday in Malaysia
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