New Segment - WTF? OMG! Cars - 760il Le-Mons Escapee

So I spotted this "*****" at my local BMW dealer last evening. Of special interest is the bespoke hood retaining strap system, as well as the custom bonnet art. Quite honestly I'm not certain if it is an ultra-luxury rat-rod or simply a scary luxo-cuiser that seen better days. Thoughts?

Car Porn Deluxe - "Flux Capacitor" edition - AWW Motorsports e46 M3 at the Ring

Not sure if I'm drawn to this video because of the great driving and car set-up performed by AWW Motorsport, or because of the disco light display on the dash. I'm guessing that it has something to do with monitoring the engine firing order, fuel/air mix, or it is just visualizing some cool German Techno music from a Berlin radio station. Enjoy!

Car Porn Deluxe - "Tell me the why" edition - Ferrari 458 Italia

If you a have a quarter of a million saved up for your next new car purchase, you could do a lot worse than to put down a deposit for one of these. Just the sound is worth $100,000. Enjoy!

(via FerrariWorld)

Schumacher withdraws from F1 Comeback - Badoer now Massa's replacement

So I guess all of the rumors were true. Apparently Michael has announced that he will not be able to step in for Massa because of recurring pain due to a prior neck injury. Ferrari has announced that Ferrari Test Pilot and all-around nice guy, Luca Badoer will fill in for Felipe Massa untill he recovers.

No word yet on Formula One's condition or if it has a chance of recovery. It's currently listed in Critical but Stable condition.

(Via AP) – 2 hours ago

MILAN — Ferrari says Italian Luca Badoer will replace Michael Schumacher at this month's European Grand Prix at Valencia after the seven-time world champion called off his much-anticipated Formula One comeback.

Badoer is a Ferrari test driver whose name was first floated by Italian media after Felipe Massa's crash took him off the race circuit.

Schumacher, 40, agreed to drive in Massa's place, but announced Tuesday he has canceled his return to F1 as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident earlier this year. He says he informed Ferrari officials Monday evening that he would not be able to step in for Massa.

Schumacher, who retired after the 2006 season, says his neck cannot stand up to the stresses of Formula One racing.

Car Porn Deluxe - "Meaner and Greener" edition- 2010 Porsche Turbo

The new car is more fuel efficient, more environmentally friendly and faster than the car it replaces. Viva le environment! Plus the fixed the paddle shifters on the PDK to be real paddle shifters. Enjoy!

Tyranny Wins Out over Good! Formula One Teams sign Concorde Agreement.

So in a "not surprising" move the 2010 class of Formula One Teams have ratified the Concorde Agreement, guaranteeing their allegiance to the Dark Side, I mean the FIA through 2012. As part of the agreement the teams have agreed to voluntary cost reductions that will bring spending to "early 1990's" levels. Sure tyranny is bad, except when your sleeping with the tyrant.

Statement from FOTA follows:

"Signed by all Formula One teams, with the only exception of BMW Sauber AG, the FIA, and Formula One Administration (FOA), Concorde 2009 lays down the commercial and regulatory guidelines for Formula One whilst guaranteeing the teams’ until the end of the 2012 season.

"FOTA will support any initiative which would allow BMW Sauber AG to reapply for full participation within the new Concorde Agreement.

"All Formula One teams have together reached a voluntary agreement on their own, which will put into practice FOTA’s long-standing objective gradually to reduce overall spending, eventually to around the levels of the early 1990s.

"The terms of Concorde 2009 will reinvigorate the role of the Formula One Commission, and various other Working Groups. The Formula One Commission will henceforth be a key decision-making body for change in Formula One.

"FOTA’s attention will now turn to other issues we believe to be in the long-term interest of F1: racing at the best tracks, in front of the biggest audiences and expanding F1’s reach."

In the interest of providing "fair and balanced" coverage I thought that you might enjoy this homage to the FIA/FOTA battle courtesy of Theratterdot com. Enjoy!

New Corvette C6R to battle GT-2 field at Mid-Ohio - ALMS

Welcome to the new American LeMans Series Corvette C6R making its racing debut in the more competitive GT-2 class at Mid-Ohio this coming weekend. The GT-2 C6R is now packing a 6-liter V8 (down from 8 liters in GT-1) and has a more tradtional aluminum chassis instead of the GT-1's tube-frame structure. As the pictures show the new car looks a lot more like the street going ZR-1 than the GT-1 monster ever did.

Thanks to Pratt and Miller for the pics.

Kimi has the right idea!

The last two weeks of Formula One have set the stage for the biggest resurgence or failure the sport has known. With the withdrawal of BMW, Nelson Piquet Jr's damning departure from Renault, Massa's injury and Schumacher's return to the cockpit, most fans are on the edge of their seats waiting for the next chapter in the 2009 Formula 1 Saga.

But has anyone noticed that Lewis Hamilton actually won the race in Hungary? Or that Alonso was on the pole? If you read the many blog posts and professional motorsport journalists you will find that of all of the numerous electrons spent over the last two weeks, very few have been devoted to the actual act of racing cars.

That's where it seems that Kim has had the right idea in quiet switch to the world of rallying, where the racing is real, the tracks are untamed, and danger lurks behind every bush tree or jump. I invite you to check out this excellent video that sums-up the essence of rallying and after watching it ask yourself the last time you saw anything that matches it in F1. Enjoy!