Forum Directory / Automotive

FY glass from Laddaw appears to be much better in quality than the FY glass from Masters. Am I losing it?
Simex Extreme Trekkers, fitted to 15" modulars. Brand new, never been on or off road. I think they're 33x9.50 but please contact the seller for more info,
Gus - 07708585597
The AGM will be held at the Murroes Hall, Duntrune DD4 0PP on Thursday 29th March 2012.
7.30PM refreshments provided, and a raffle for a years free membership
Had a call today for a HT920, cost to us from CPG is £32.00+vat, as it is such a simple job and the customer made me aware he was phoning around for the best price, I decided to quote £32.00+vat to see how it would pan out, 15 minutes later the customer phones me back and tells me he has had a lower quote and can I beat it, I tell him to take the better offer.
I do wish someone would start answering my posts, this is my second post that I need some advice for & no one has even answered my first post yet. I am getting ready to fire up a 1965 TR4A engine I bought to replace my original engine rather than go through the expense of rebuilding it. The new engine had 20,000 miles on it when the car was totaled.in 1966 so it probably has never been run on unleaded gasoline. What kind of gasoline additives should I use if any? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Tom
การปลูกพืชฤดูแล้ง
He's back and he means business.
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Autostone-Is-looking-other-WIndscreen-3747200.S.94732683?qid=d1e770b6-8b03-489b-bdfa-bb21a7f34510&trk=group_most_popular-0-b-ttl&goback=.anp_3747200_1329146039207_1.gmp_3747200
I like the "Mark L Davis likes this" bit, especially. But not in the way that he does.
Film crew moves onto Blackbushe airfield
By Tim Tonkin

from gethampshire.co.uk

PRODUCERS behind the upcoming Ron Howard film Rush, have cleared one hurdle in their bid to use part of Blackbushe airport as a movie set.
Approval to use the former runway sites for a five-month filming project was given by Hart District Council, following a report by planning officer Robert Jackson.
The decision means that the words ‘lights, camera, action’ could soon be the buzz words ringing out from the common, which is set to see the construction of a ‘fake’ racing track.
The project has seen a fair degree of vocal support from many people living in the Yateley area, many of who welcome the prospect of a big name Hollywood director coming to their town, and the potential prosperity production crews may bring.
The film aims to recreate the events of the 1976 Formula 1 Championship which saw rival drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt vie for supremacy on the track.
However, somewhat in keeping with the film’s name, a number of people and organisations have continued to express concern over the speed with which the project has been progressed, with work on part of the site starting up on Monday.
Approval for the application, which was granted without even being referred to Hart’s planning committee, was granted last Thursday, despite objections from groups including Natural England, and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, over a lack of information as to how filming might impact on the location’s important wildlife.
Peter Tipton, on behalf of the Yateley Society, had previously outlined seven reasons why he felt permission would need to be secured ahead of set construction and filming, including the need to gain authorisation from the secretary of state to fence off designated common land.
In the conclusions to his report however, Mr Jackson said that the “provision of a film set for a maximum of five months” would not lead to a detrimental impact on local ecology, character or appearance of the site or public rights of way, and should therefore not stand in the way of conditional approval being granted.
Barry Moody, a member of the Yateley Society, said that he was concerned that work was already taking place, suggesting that this appeared to be contrary to the conditions of approval set out by Hart District. He said: “Planning permission was given by Hart on January 12 and one of the conditions is a 21-day period before construction can commence. This is a requirement of the Countryside and Wildlife Act but also allows a period of time when theoretically the application could be called in by the secretary of state.
“However, this condition has been ignored and work started on January 16. We are currently waiting to hear how this situation not only occurred but was allowed to occur.”
Daryl Phillips, Hart’s head of planning services, confirmed that work currently on-going at the site was not in breach of the conditions of approval.
He said: “The applicant is only working on the tarmacked areas and not on the grass. This is not affecting any ecology and we have no reason to stop them.”
A total of 18 letters in support of the project were received by Hart, including one from district councillor Colin Ive, with the council also receiving 17 letters objecting to the plans.
Jonah Coombes, location manager for Rush Films, said: “For the most part our experience thus far is that there are lots of very supportive members of the community made themselves known to us, and we are enjoying a sense of people being supportive and very happy to see us there.
“We are still discussing our requirements with the relevant people and hoping to secure the community benefits we have been discussing during the planning process.”
Mr Coombes said that while no filming was set to take place for many weeks, production staff had begun to make contact with local schools and colleges over setting up work experience for youngsters on set. “At the end of the day we believe this is something of good value to the local community.”

Webber insists no tension with countryman Ricciardo

Monday 13 February at 07:35 : Feb.13 (GMM) Some distance may have crept into their relationship, but Mark Webber insists there is no tension between himself and fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo, the 22-year-old who has stepped up from HRT last year to the full-time Toro Rosso race seat for 2012, told the Melbourne Age newspaper that Webber - at the senior team Red Bull - is keeping his distance despite earlier easing his transition into the world of F1.

The feeling in the F1 paddock is that Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko is grooming Ricciardo and Toro Rosso's other new driver Jean-Eric Vergne to potentially succeed Webber as world champion Sebastian Vettel's next teammate.

As for the distance between him and Webber now that they are in competition for the same seat, Ricciardo said: "I guess he's still got his career now and his things to worry about -- I'll try not to get in his way too much.

"And, you know, now we are on the same route together, maybe he doesn't want to tell me too much but that is completely understandable."

35-year-old Webber, however, insisted there is no real tension with his countryman.

"Not at all, you know, I've been through enough on and off the track to know that nothing is forever," he said.

"I was supposed to be replaced by Kimi (Raikkonen) four years ago," he laughed, referring to the notorious F1 rumour-mill.

Alain Prost's team lasted five seasons in F1 © Sutton Images

1997
Alain Prost bought out Ligier to set up the Prost Formula One team. Ligier had been in the sport since 1976 but hadn't been a serious contender since the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Prost team experienced some success in its first year, scoring two podiums and finishing sixth in the constructors' championship. However, it failed to match that performance again and finally went bust in 2001.
2004
Williams boss Patrick Head reopened old wounds with his driver Juan Pablo Montoya, when he speculated that the Colombian had signed a contract with McLaren for 2005 because of an argument he had with him at the2003 French Grand Prix. Montoya swore at his team over the radio when he believed it had altered the strategy of his team-mate Ralf Schumacher to give the German an advantage. Head said: "I think that Juan was not impressed at having his knuckles rapped and I know the decision to sign with McLaren was taken within a few days of that. Juan incorrectly thought that we had notified Ralf of his actions and called Ralf in one lap early. So he was pretty strong on the radio, abusing the team verbally for the next ten minutes."
1948
Jim Crawford was born in Dunfermline, Scotland. He spent his early career strapped for cash and worked as a mechanic in order to try and get a break. Eventually he drove in the John Players Special Formula Atlantic with some success and then had his dreams come true when Lotus driver Jacky Ickx retired from the sport and left an empty seat at the championship winning team. Colin Chapman came calling, offering him the chance to drive at the British Grand Prix. An accident brought his race to a premature end and he had to wait until the Italian Grand Prix before he was given another chance to race. He finished 13th at his second attempt but it wasn't up to Chapman's expectations and he was dropped for good. He drove in the Aurora AFX championship for F1 cars in the UK before moving to the USA where he had an intermittent career in Champ Cars. After racing he became a skipper on a fishing boat in Florida but died of a heart attack at just 54-years-old.
2005
The last man to drive a Bugatti in a grand prix, Maurice Trintignant died aged 87. He had been successful in the 1930s but had the prime of his career cut short by World War II. Despite that, he still won the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix twice.
What a difference a P1 makes

Monday 13th February 2012
What a difference a P1 makes
1 of 1
Ferrari may not be putting too much weight into Fernando Alonso's best time at Jerez, however, it has gone a long way towards easing their concerns.
Prior to Friday's final day at the Spanish circuit, Ferrari had failed to break into the 1:19s, a feat all their main rivals had achieved.
This prompted technical director Pat Fry to reveal that he had a few concerns.
"I am not happy with where we are at the moment," he said on Thursday.
"There is a lot of room for us to improve. Reliability-wise it is good. Performance-wise I think we are okay.
"But we can play around with the performance and improve the car in some corners, and some particular parts of the corner. But I would not say I am happy yet until we get the whole thing working."
Less than 24 hours, Alonso posted a 1:18.877 - the fastest time of the day and the second quickest of the test - and Ferrari's exhaust layout was declared legal.
This prompted a very different tune from the Italian camp.
"Calm and concentrated" read the headlines on the Scuderia's website.
Although no quotes were included, it seems all is well at Ferrari with the team confident they are heading in the right director.
"The initial analysis confirms namely that the F2012 still needs polishing up, but the potential is there," was the assessment.
"Some areas definitely have room for improvement, but the first changes made from the Tuesday to Friday have produced positive results, as Fernando Alonso himself confirmed yesterday evening, even if they have not been tried much so far."
Added to that, according to Ferrari, "there was no reason to bandy about predictions of catastrophe which was the case up to Thursday evening" but by that same token "nor was there any cause for elation" after Alonso's flying lap on Friday.
"In summary", the article concluded "it's a case of staying calm and concentrated."
Pressure on Bahrain increases

Tomorrow sees the first anniversary of the Shia uprising in Bahrain that resulted in a number of deaths and almost 3000 arrests.
The opening round of last year's F1 world championship fell victim to the internal strife and pressure is building on the FIA to cancel this year's race, round 4 of the 2012 championship, scheduled for April 22.
Last week in Bahrain, a 51 year-old Briton, Peter Morrissey, had two fingers cut off with a sword by a gang blocking a road in Karranah, near Manama.
Government authorities, however, have claimed that other accusations of attacks on expatriates have been fabricated and deny that foreign journalists are being denied access to the country ahead of the February 14 anniversary of the trouble.
FIA president Jean Todt was a recent visitor to Bahrain, accompanied by 1996 world champion Damon Hill.
On his return, Hill said: "I was frustrated last year that F1 did not raise its voice against what was happening. But a lot has changed there since then.
"It is clear that the situation in Bahrain is better understood and I don't think anyone would want to go back to Bahrain if there was suffering just because of a grand prix. I listened to a lot of people there, including eye-witnesses. I believe they are making change for the better."
Last Friday, however, a number of British peers co-signed a letter published in The Times newspaper in the UK. It read:
"Sir, We note with concern the decision by Formula One to go ahead with the race in Bahrain scheduled for April.
"The continued political crisis in Bahrain is a troubling source of instability in the Gulf region, and the lack of any move towards political reconciliation concerns those who wish to see Bahrain move in the direction of greater democratic accountability.
"It was hoped that the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) would provide a starting point for political reform which both government and opposition forces could agree upon. However, two months on we see an entrenchment of the positions of both sides which risks letting more extreme voices dictate the progress of the conflict.
"Given the current dire situation, with daily street protests and the deaths of more civilians, we do not believe that the time is right for Formula One to return to Bahrain.
"Bahrain is a major trading hub and financial centre in the Middle East but this brings greater responsibility.
"Human rights and economic stability go hand in hand and the government of Bahrain must do more to persuade international events and corporations that Bahrain is a stable place to do business.
"Until it takes concerted measures to reform the electoral, penal and judicial processes, international observers as well as ordinary Bahrainis can have little confidence that Bahrain is on the path to reform and political stability. We urge the FIA to reconsider its decision to continue with the race."
The letter was signed by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, Lord Alton, Lord Avebury, Baroness Falkner of Margravine, Lord Hylton, Caroline Lucas and Lord Boswell.
Last year, F1 was criticised for its head-in-the-sand attitude to the Bahrain situation, when teams said that they would trust in the FIA and the commercial rights holder to make the right decision. Privately, however, some suggested that their insurance situation and responsibility to employees would have made the position untenable if the decision to go ahead with the race had been taken.
In January, a number of US diplomatic staff living in sensitive areas, were relocated. As things stand, this year's race is back-to-backed with the April 15 Chinese GP.
Renault power needs less gas'

Monday 13th February 2012
'Renault power needs less gas'
1 of 1
Renault may not have the most powerful engine on the grid but, according to their F1 director, the company supplies teams with the most fuel efficient.
Having sold the final batch of shares in their F1 team to Genii Capital, Renault's role in Formula One is now solely as an engine supplier.
In that role the French company has excelled in recent seasons, winning back-to-back Championship doubles with Red Bull Racing in 2010 and 2011.
And, according to Jean François Caubet, Renault's F1 director, part of the secret to that success in their engine's fuel efficiency.
"The Mercedes engine is about 15hp more power than ours, so too does Ferrari offer more power," he told AS.
"But, as far as drivability and fuel economy go the Renault engine is out in front as we need less gas."
In fact, so much so that Caubet estimates that Red Bull Racing, the defending Champs, "can start races with 15 or 18 litres less fuel in the tank than their competition - and that makes the difference."
Trulli only Italian flying the flag in Formula 1

Jarno Trulli
Feb.13 (GMM) Formula 1′s Italian contingent is clinging to small comforts ahead of the 2012 world championship season.
With Italy once occupying large chunks of grand prix grids, veteran Jarno Trulli is now the last Italian driver in formula one.
And according to persistent speculation in the Jerez paddock last week, his seat at Caterham could be snapped up at the last minute by Vitaly Petrov, who is waiting on his Russian sponsors to green-light the deal.
But a report in Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport said Saturday was a small piece of good news for Trulli, 37.
With the bulk of the F1 world leaving Jerez after Friday’s running, Caterham stuck around for an additional day of exclusive track use for filming purposes.
The result of the filming will be used by Caterham’s marketing and promotional material throughout 2012.
Trulli was there, the report revealed.
“It is good news because it could mean that the seat of the driver from Pescara is safe, thus ensuring at least one Italian driver in the championship,” said La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Although teammate Heikki Kovalainen enjoyed two days at the wheel of the new CT01 compared to Trulli’s single run last Friday, the Italian said his first impression is that the car is a “definite progression” on last year.
“The power steering is good — we can keep fine tuning it, but I think it’s basically a good package with a lot of potential for us to work on,” said Trulli.
McLaren bans Sutil questions directed at Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton talks with media at Jerez
Feb.13 (GMM) McLaren team has once again stepped in to prevent Lewis Hamilton from answering questions about the Adrian Sutil affair.
At the recent launch of the MP4-27 car, a reporter asked Hamilton about his former friend Sutil’s accusation that he is a “coward” for not appearing as a witness at the recent assault trial in Munich.
“We’ve been told that Lewis shouldn’t really go there because it (the conviction) might go under appeal,” the spokesman quickly intervened.
Hamilton smiled: “I’ll listen to him.”
The Briton’s former F3 teammate did indeed file an appeal, but not before Sutil’s father Jorge described Hamilton as “pathetic” in the German press.
Asked about the latest insult from the Sutil camp, Hamilton was once again prevented from answering in the Jerez paddock by a McLaren media minder.
“That question is not permitted,” the spokesman is quoted as saying by Auto Motor und Sport.
The German magazine article read: “We say that Hamilton should have the courage to speak for himself.”
In other courtside F1 news, former Benetton driver JJ Lehto’s attempt to appeal his prison sentence for manslaughter got off to a dismal start, the Swiss newspaper Blick reports.
Finn Lehto’s lawyer reportedly appeared in court to file the appeal but was “immediately arrested himself, apparently because of money laundering”.
No major 2012 invention has emerged yet says Sauber

Peter Sauber with his team at Jerez
Feb.13 (GMM) After the double diffusers, F-ducts and blown exhausts of the past few seasons, Peter Sauber is sure a Formula 1 “revolutionary invention” has not yet been seen in 2012.
The world of F1 watched the opening pre-season test of 2012 play out last week at Jerez, where clever solutions to the new exhaust clampdown and Mercedes’ innovative F-duct-style front wing circulated at speed.
“The big question,” agreed team boss Sauber, “is whether anyone has come up with another revolutionary invention after the banning of the adventurous engine control (of 2011).
“So far it doesn’t look like it,” he wrote in a column for Blick newspaper.
“At the rear of the cars there are different solutions for the guiding of the exhaust gases, but this was not unexpected,” added Sauber.
Another point of note at Jerez was the obvious visual difference between the radical ‘step’ noses and the much more conventional solution on the McLaren.
“It means nothing else than that they are using a less-high chassis,” Sauber reported. “This is interesting because of the apparent aerodynamic disadvantage.
“But equally clear is that McLaren would not have done it if they had not found another way to generate the corresponding downforce,” he insisted.
Senna movie wins two BAFTA awards at London ceremony

By Jamie O'Leary Monday, February 13th 2012, 09:02 GMT

Senna, the documentary film about the life of three-time Formula 1 world champion Ayrton Senna, won two prestigious accolades at Sunday night's BAFTA Awards in London.
The film beat Martin Scorsese's biopic of George Harrison; Living in the Material World and chimpanzee movie Project Lim to take the award, which is voted for by members of the British Academy of Film and Television.
It also won the Best Editing prize, beating silent movie The Artist, Drive, Hugo and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
The film's screenwriter and executive producer Manish Pandey said: "We'd just really wanted to thank the Senna family for trusting us with his legacy.
"When your son dies in circumstances like that, and you get a bunch of guys who turn up and say, listen, we want to tell the story, we think we're very sensitive, we think we will absolutely tell it right... It takes a lot of guts to support people like that, and I'd like to thank them for doing that."
The film, which was directed by Asif Kapadia and produced by James Gay-Rees, was also nominated for the Outstanding British Film award, but lost out to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

inShare0
Dani Clos joins HRT as reserve driver for 2012 F1 season

By Jamie O'Leary Monday, February 13th 2012, 09:20 GMT

GP2 front-runner Dani Clos has joined HRT as its reserve driver for the upcoming Formula 1 season.
The 23-year-old Spaniard drove for the team at last November's young driver test at Yas Marina, and has now signed a deal that will involve him taking part in several Friday free practice sessions during the year.
He will support race drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan and believes that his new role will help him progress as a driver.
"I'm very proud to be a part of HRT Formula 1 Team. It is a great step in my career, something that I have dreamt of all my life and, finally, my dream is starting to come true," Clos said. "I'm very impressed with the job the team is doing; they're achieving fantastic things in a short space of time.
"The team has changed a lot since we met at the Abu Dhabi tests and I think it's a great opportunity and an honor to form a part of this new team. What they're achieving is very important for motorsport in our country and has a lot of potential.
"Also, being alongside Pedro de la Rosa is very important for me, since he and Karthikeyan can positively contribute to me becoming a better driver."
Clos has spent the past three years in GP2, winning once in the main series and once in the Asia Series. Fourth place in the 2010 championship for Racing Engineering marked his best season.
Prior to that he was a podium finisher in the F3 Euro Series and the 2006 Italian Formula Renault champion.
Lotus bosses say team atmosphere will bring out Kimi Raikkonen's best

By Dieter Rencken and Matt Beer Monday, February 13th 2012, 10:36 GMT

Lotus will bring the very best out of Kimi Raikkonen, reckon team bosses Eric Boullier and Gerard Lopez, who believe the 2007 world champion is a much more dedicated team player than his past reputation suggested.
Raikkonen has impressed Lotus since joining the team for his Formula 1 comeback after two years in rallying, and was quickest on the first day of winter testing at Jerez last week.
Lopez said Lotus had found Raikkonen to be a totally different character to how he was presented during his last F1 stint.
"For most people it's probably one of the big mysteries, because you hear the hearsay and so forth, but we feel very good with him and he clearly feels at home," Lopez told AUTOSPORT.
"He smiles a lot when he's with us! But most importantly that says he feels more like part of the family."
Lopez added: "I think Kimi has a public image that honestly from what we've seen does not translate into how he really is. He's a very hard worker, very good at providing feedback, and has a good team spirit.
"Once we talked to him, once we understood why he was coming back, we really felt comfortable. If you look at what happened [at the test], nobody can say that he's not on the pace."
Boullier reckons the way Lotus works is proving ideal for Raikkonen.
"We tried to handle his personality and make sure that we don't bother him too much with too many intrusions, and he's a real racer," said Boullier.
"This team is full of proper racing people and he has fitted very well because we speak the same language.
"We are flexible, but our system is very racing-orientated, and that suits him very well."
Jarno Trulli sure he will keep his Caterham drive

By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Monday, February 13th 2012, 12:57 GMT

Jarno Trulli says he is confident his seat at Caterham is safe going into the 2012 Formula 1 season, despite ongoing uncertainty over his position.
Vitaly Petrov was linked with Trulli's drive during the winter, with the team known to have held discussions with funded drivers. Caterham's new reserve Giedo van der Garde has also been rumoured to be a candidate for Trulli's race seat. The Dutchman tested the new Caterham CT01 at Jerez last week, the day before Trulli's first run in the car.
But asked if he would be racing in F1 this year, Trulli replied: "We are safe, yes."
He acknowledged that economic considerations might play a part in Caterham's driver decisions at some point, but said he had no indication so far that he was in jeopardy.
"I do understand the position of some teams and that unfortunately, economically we are going through a very tough time worldwide and there are some teams that are running into trouble," Trulli said.
"I don't know the real situation of the teams but I do know that they have to look for sponsors and paying drivers, so at the moment all I can say is I am contracted with the team and I will be testing.
"If something different happens I hope that someone from the team comes and talks to me earlier, but so far we never had a talk about it through the winter."
Trulli played down the significance of van der Garde trying the car before him.
"At the last moment they signed van der Garde and it is important for the team to have a third driver with a bit of experience, so they let him drive," Trulli said.
"He did a reasonable good job in mileage and from there we will start programming the next few tests because I was scheduled to drive at the beginning."
R32 GTR, GTO, NSX, RX7, 928, 964, 964 RS
Kurosawa's in play Porsche 968 and Porsche 964
0-400m showdown of Japanese car vs Porsche
Hi all im Ryan i started Solent Windscreens back in July .I have been in the game for thirteen years working with the big players .I live in the Portsmouth area and cover Hampshire and West Sussex .I do repairs and replacements and look forward to meeting others .
One positive spin to take from training and accreditation is the marketing potential. Stumbled onto this blog at GQA and it's now on my FB page. I'll Tweet it for all it is worth and you never know, someone somewhere might just take it as a good enough reason to approach me (or Ty for an assessment).
http://blog.gqaqualifications.com/2011/12/ivs-add-gqas-automotive-glazing-and.html?showComment=1329125046850#c33046188502563126
Add this to any other marketing/publicising you already do and... well, you never know.
What do you guys think of sticker bombing? The paint on my hood is getting pretty messed up and I was just thinking....
I dont have the money for a carbon fiber hood, and it looks pretty cool...
This is my 2000 Honda Civic LX Hatchback.
What do you think?
Hey guys! This is a new forum for people with civics in the Northwest! Please tell everyone who has a civic!
Anyone have a rear 2" budget boost spacer they don't need any more? I only need 1 for a little project.
Chiar daca in prezent, motoarele rotative de Mazda se cheama Wankel, de la inventatorul Dr. Felix Wankel, acestea dateaza cu multa vreme inainte, chiar dinainte de 1900. Se pare ca primul care a creat si patentat un astfel de motor este Felix Millet, in 1888, care a facut un motor rotativ cu 5 cilindri care invartea o roata de bicicleta. Inventia lui a fost pusa pe o masina in 1900 de catre Darracq.

Primele motoare rotative aveau un numar ciudat de cilindri, 7 sau 9, aranjati in cerc. Se pare ca acest numar de cilindri asigura un echilibru mai bun, datorita secventelor de aprindere. Motorul avea un bloc fix si se numea motor radial. Acest tip de motor si-a gasit utilizarea pentru avioane, dar ridica o problema mare: racirea, mai ales in utilizarea pe loc. Astfel, motorul radial a primit modificari: blocul, impreuna cu cilindrii, se invartea odata cu elicea, in timp ce arborele ramanea fix. Asa s-a nascut motorul rotativ. Racirea era mai buna, dar au inceput problemele cu instabilitatea si controlul.
La inceputul anilor '20, motorul rotativ a devenit demodat si invechit, iar dezvoltarea lui a incetat. Pana in anul 1957, cand inginerul german, Felix Wankel, a inventat un design special, o evolutie a motorului rotativ, care utiliza un rotor in forma de triunghi ce se invarte intr-o carcasa ovala. Si pentru ca nu are pistoane, motorul Wankel este considerat un motor rotativ fara pistoane. Incepand cu anii '60, dezvoltarea motorului nou creat de Wankel a inceput in forta, dar chiar si asa, numai Mazda a reusit sa modifice cu succes designul initial si sa-l integreze in identitatea brandului, fiind singura marca ce a pus motorul pe masini de serie.

Mazda a introdus primul motor rotativ cu doua rotoare in luna Mai, 1967 cu modelul Cosmo Sport 110S. Acesta avea doua rotoare si o capacitate de 491 cc, producand o putere de 110 cp la 7.000 rpm. In 1970, Mazda a venit cu prima transmisie automata pe un motor Wankel si 3 ani mai tarziu a lansat prima camioneta cu un motor rotativ.

Dupa ce a implementat sistemul de inductie cu 6 porturi, pentru mai multa putere si o economie mai buna, Mazda a dezvoltat motorul pentru a incerca sa scada emisiile de carbon. A reusit sa faca un catalizator cu 2 stagii pentru a scadea poluarea, iar pentru a consuma mai putin s-au folosit cate 3 admisii pentru fiecare camera de rotor, controlate in 3 etape.

O alta etapa in evolutia Mazda a fost folosirea turbinelor pe motorul rotativ. In 1982, modelul Cosmo RE Turbo a inceput sa se vanda ca fiind prima masina din lume cu motor rotativ, dotat cu turbo. Ulterior, Mazda a venit si cu turbina "twin-scroll" pentru a minimaliza lag-ul.
Mazda a inventat "capodopera" Renesis, un motor care era o geneza a motorului rotativ (RE). Acesta este un motor de 654 cc x 2, ce produce 250 cp la 8.500 rpm si un cuplu de 216 Nm la 5.500 rpm. Motorul a castigat premiul de "Motorul Anului" in 2003. Ulterior, Mazda a mai venit cu un motor Wankel ce mergea pe hidrogen si benzina, dar nu s-a bucurat de succes.

Ultima evolutie a motorului rotativ este in dezvoltare si si-a facut o prima aparitie pe conceptul Mazda Taiki. Acesta promite o capacitate mai mare, de 1600 cc, adica 800 x 2, asadar o putere mult mai mare, de peste 300 cp. Si chiar daca problema poluarii s-a rezolvat, Mazda va continua sa se confrunte cu cele legate de consumul de ulei si benzina, care vor ramane in continuare, din cauza designului initial.
Acestea sunt destul de multe, dar nu sunt foarte grave. Este vorba de proasta etanseizare a camerelor atunci cand rotorul se invarte, ceea ce se traduce prin multa benzina nearsa, adica un consum mare. Durata unui ciclu dureaza cu 50% mai mult decat la un piston, iar functionarea motorului lasa mai mult monoxid de carbon sa iasa pe evacuare, ceea ce il face un "paria" printre ecologisti.

Insa cel mai mare dezavantaj este consumul mare de benzina. Teste comparative arata ca un Mazda RX8 consuma mai mult decat o masina mai grea, cu motor V8, cu o capacitate cilindrica mai mare de 4 ori, obtinand performante similare. Un alt dezavantaj este ca diferite cantitati de ulei ajung in camerele de ardere, ceea ce ii obliga pe proprietarii de masini cu motoare rotative sa adauge permanent ulei.
In primul rand, este vorba de dimensiunea mica si greutatea scazuta. Asta este un amanunt crucial, atunci cand creezi o masina usoara cu un motor puternic. In plus, ajuta la imbunatatirea sistemelor de siguranta in caz de accident, pentru ca este mai mult loc sub capota. In plus, spatiul poate fi folosit pentru alte sisteme si pentru o mai buna distribuire a greutatii.

Un alt amanunt interesant este plaja cuplului motor care este constanta indiferent de turatie. Un motor rotativ cu 2 rotoare produce un cuplu similar cu cel al unui motor clasic V6, iar unul cu 3 rotoare produce cuplul unui motor V8.

Un alt avantaj consta in structura simpla a motorului, fiabilitate si durabilitate. Nu exista pistoane, biele, valve actionate mecanic, curele puse la punct, ceea ce inseamna ca motorul e mai usor de fabricat si are mult mai putine piese in miscare. Prin umare, in cazul unui mers sportiv, motorul Wankel este mai fiabil in timp. Si asta pentru ca daca motorul merge cu 8.000 rpm, rotoarele se invart la o treime din aceasta valoare
Motorul Wankel este un motor cu combustie interna ce foloseste aceleasi principii de a converti presiunea in miscare de rotatie, ca si motoarele cu pistoane. Dar fara vibratiile si stresul mecanic la rotatii mari. Dr. Wankel a inceput sa creeze motorul astfel: o roata dintata exterioara a fost fixata pe o coala alba. A urmat integrarea unei alte roti dintate mai mari cu dinti pe interior, cu raport dintre cele doua roti de 2:3. Urmatorul pas a fost atasarea unui brat cu un creion pe exteriorul rotii mari. Cand se invartea roata cea mica, creionul desena pe coala un oval cu laturi neregulate
(interiorul blocului motor).

Desenul lui Wankel de la care a luat nastere motorul

Motorul Wankel merge in 4 timpi ca si cel cu piston, rotorul central realizand toate cele 4 cicluri: admisie, compresie, aprindere si evacuare, in interiorul camerei ovale. Si chiar daca ambele tipuri de motoare functioneaza dupa aceleasi reguli, diferentele sunt in ceea ce priveste transformarea miscarii in forta mecanica. Intr-o camera de combustie rotativa, presiunea este aplicata pe o parte a rotorului. Rotorul, fiind triunghiular, interiorul blocului oval va fi intotdeauna impartit in 3 parti, in 3 camere functionale. Adica un sistem diferit fata de motorul cu pistoane, unde cele 4 procese au loc in fiecare cilindru.

Ciclurile motorului Wankel si a celui cu piston

Designul original al lui Wankel avea roata dintata mica cu 20 de dinti, iar cea mare avea 30 de dinti pe interior. Asadar, era un raport de invartire de 1:3, intre rotor si ax (legat de roata cea mica). Adica in timp ce roata mare face o tura completa, cea mica face 3. Un ax este legat la roata mica din mijloc, echivalentul arborelui de la motorul clasic. Si cand motorul merge, axul central face sa zicem 3.000 rpm, in timp ce rotorul triunghiular face 1.000 rpm. Asta se traduce printr-un mers mai fin al motorului, dar si prin niste rotatii mult mai mari.
After taking a look at spacemonket's trailer build, I just had to post a few pictures of my own. I'm surprised at the simialarities between the two.

This is how it looked in Sept. 2010. I purchased it from a guy in Simi Valley who pulled it with his jeep and used it for hunting. He said that it was one of the first trailers built by Sierra Tailers in Carson City, NV

Here it is in Nov 2010 ready for it's first trip to Death Valley. I built the lid and mounted an AirTop tent, added fuel can racks to the front and mounts for 2 water cans inside. Also built the hold down for the spare tire inside the trailer.
Added some other stuff and then over the Thanksgiving holiday this year we had the unforfunate opportunity to meet another jeeper on a turn on Race track valley road in Death Valley. We where both going too fast. We avoided hitting each other, but he ended up rolling his jeep and I hit a rock with the trailer wheel and broke the trailer axle. Which caused to trailer to go turtle. Luckily no one got hurt and the off road hitch allowed the trailer to roll without rolling the jeep with it. We used the winch to right the trailer and pull it off the road. Then removed the axle and headed into Beatty, NV to find a local handiman that was recommended to us. We found an old axle laying out in his south 40 and cut and welded it to size. We then drove back out on race track valley installed the axle and continued with our trip. I wish that we would of taken some pictures of the carnage, but that's just not where my head was at the time.

When the axle broke it tore one of the fenders off. So I decided to build some steps and incorporate them into the fenders. Here's the new fenders installed with the first coat of primer.

Here's the steps and fenders from the back with the back up LED's installed.

Front box holds the battery and switch setup.
Next week I'll have it to the boat repair shop for the fiberglass repair on the tent.
.
IFA (Trabant, Wartburg), prototipuri din 1961-1969
NSU Wankel Spider (1964–1967)
Ford Mustang (1965) cu Curtiss-Wright RC2-60.
Mazda 110 S Cosmo Sport (1967–1972)
NSU Ro 80 (1967–1977)
Mazda R100 (1968–1975)
Citroën M35 (1969–1971), 267 de bucăți
Mazda R130 (1969–1972) Coupé cu motor Wankel 13A
Mercedes-Benz C111 (prototip 1969–1971)
Lada (1970–1990)
Mazda RX-2 (1971–1974)
Mazda RX-3 (1972–1977) Coupé, Limousine și Caravan.
Mazda RX-4 (1972-1977) Coupé, Limousine și Caravan.
Datsun 1200 (1973)
Corvette XP-897GT (1973)
Citroën GS Birotor (1974-1975), 847 de bucăți produse
Mazda Rotary Pickup (1973–1977), numai în SUA
Mazda Parkway Rotary 26 (1974–1976), primul autobuz cu motor Wankel
Mazda Road Pacer AP (1975–1977)
Mazda RX-5 (1975–1981)
Audi 100 (1976–1977), ca. 25 de prototipuri
Mazda Luce Legato (1977–1981), versiune top 929L.
Mazda Cosmo AP RX-5 (1981-1990)
Mazda Luce (1981-1986), versiune top 929.
Mazda Luce (1986-1991), versiune top 929.
Eunos Cosmo (1990-1995)
Mazda 787B (1991), Cursa de 24 de ore de la Le Mans (câștigător)
Mazda RX-7 (1978–2002)
Moller Skycar, firma Moller
Mazda RX-8 (din anul 2003)
Mazda RX-8 HRE Hydrogen RE Hybrid Concept (2004 -)
Mazda 5 HRE Hydrogen RE Hybrid

http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/large-scale-cars/24503-article-scratch-built-stock-ford-model-t-1-8-th-scale.html these guys sure put some detail into models chaeck it out
I was wondering if anyone wants to have a meet in Washington soon. post here if you are interested!
Hi. I am the Admin for Northwest Honda Civic Forum.
I live in Carbonado, Washington.
I am 19 years old.
I have a 2000 Honda civic LX Hatchback
I havent done much to my civic because its new to me, but it has lots of potential.
Introduce yourself to the forums!
Name:
Age:
City/state:
Drag or Drift?:
Generation:
Color:
Aftermarket:
I just changed my oil. Mobil 1 5w20. Also cleaned my intake filter which is an air raid.
I remember when the air raid came out. It was the first and only after market product at the time made for a JK.....at the ime, i put it in my 07 wrangler X. I took it out and swapped into my rubi when i bought it.
Well it's that time to renew the mobile contract, And have settled on the onetel contract from Vodafone , seems a keen price with data and text, also divert calls are included and also a call handling service, new phone arrives Tuesday.
Here's a link to a great do-it-yourself soda blaster. Inside are some comparable photos to see what kind of results can be obtained. Try it and save.
http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/
With or without glass (Chrome)
12th February 2012, 9:40 by Robert Beck

Martin Donnelly’s career as an F1 driver began and ended in 1990. Donelly suffered appalling injuries in a crash during practice at Jerez.
Last year he drove an example of the car he crashed – a Lotus 102 – at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. But away from the crowds he also had the chance to drive another special classic Lotus: a Renault turbo-powered 97T of the type Ayrton Senna scored his first F1 win with in 1985.
Robert Beck was there to see Donnelly’s return to the cockpit. Here are his memories of a special day.
That particular stretch of Potash Lane was wooded, with nothing to place it in time. On the right stood a low building that might have begun life as a workplace either before or right after the war, appearing to have been added-to each time a little more space was needed. Parked beside was an older transporter in green and yellow, small by today’s Grand Prix standards but obviously still in use.
The sign said “Classic Team Lotus”. For some of us the word “classic” is superfluous; there has always been just one Team Lotus, really. Pulling into the lot was like unwrapping a decades-old issue of Motorsport Magazine.
Classic Team Lotus is a proper racing shop, but even more than that a place where Colin Chapman, his drivers, and his team changed the face of auto racing. It was filled with remarkable cars in cue for maintenance.

Lotus 49B
A 49B in Gold Leaf livery caught my eye, bearing a muscular presence that crushed any thoughts that it might be a replica or pretender. There was a number 1 on the sides and front. Graham Hill. He won at Monaco in that car. Twice.
Next to it was a 72 in the iconic John Player Special black and gold. The nose and upper bodywork panels were set on one of the shelf racks that lined all the walls and I could see the workings of the front suspension, torsion bars, and inboard brakes.
The boxy radiator pod wore another number 1. Emerson Fittipaldi. Both cars were parked at random angles in the cramped space.
Further down the room, in front of the wooden swing-out doors that hung at the ends of all the bays was a 99 dressed in Camel yellow, sitting on work stands. People were carrying parts, looking at drawings, having discussions. An electric fan droned in the corner, a phone conversation leaked out of one of the small fluorescent offices to the side, a dropped tool echoed on the concrete floor.
Racing cars are smaller in person than they appear on television or in magazines, and those of an earlier age have a distinct, hand-built quality that is menacingly spare. Formed sheet metal, rivets, hand welds: they are crafted to do the job and no more. Here and there you see an elegant turn but also a modification, something added, something competently but quickly rethought. A Formula 1 car is always evolving, and every time it is driven limits are being tested.

Lotus 97T
In another bay, a twin-chassis 88 shared space with Mario Andretti’s stunning, championship-winning 79.
But I gravitated towards a narrow garage where Ayrton Senna’s 97T faced out to the back lot. There were no buttons or dials on the Momo steering wheel. The dash carried just a few switches and instruments, and a big red light in the center. The gear stick lay to the right, and there was what looked like a chassis adjustment selector by the left leg. A monster to be sure, but one you could imagine driving without needing a month of practice in a simulator. Senna’s name on the side put you in tight proximity of a great saga. I walked around it for a long time, looking, listening.
My business was done and I was about to call my friend to pick me up when Clive Chapman, by whose generosity I was there in the first place, walked over and asked if I wanted to watch them shakedown the 97 at Hethel. I wasn’t sure what that involved but it had to be good and I said yes without hesitation. In a few minutes I was in the rear seat of a Jaguar, back on Potash Lane, heading towards the Lotus Cars factory.
Lotus Cars is located at what was a WWII airfield called Hethel, in Norfolk. There is a guard station as you come onto the property and another checkpoint before you enter the test track out back. The terrain is flat, and without grandstands or barriers it looks just like a rural airstrip. The transporter was parked facing us inside the gates and we pulled along side.
As we walked to the rear of the truck I could hear the whine of the platform winch lowering the car to the pavement. There were two mechanics; one leaned over the cockpit taking hold of the steering wheel while another pushed from behind on the wing. Clive and I each rolled a wheel. When the car was clear one mechanic unfastened the engine cover and I helped him lift it over the roll bar and out from under the wing, walking forward to place it on the ground in front.
I turned and noticed a small, nondescript station wagon parked off to the side. A man sat on the tailgate struggling to get a pair of racing overalls onto his legs, one of which didn’t bend. It was an effort. Clive saw what I was looking at and said, “Martin Donnelly. Had a terrible accident. A works driver.”
Donnelly – of course. A name connected forever to the image of a driver laying on the track during practice at Jerez in 1990, seat still strapped to his back, legs splayed at an impossible angle, his shattered Lotus 102 on the grass next to the guardrail.
It was a bright, overcast day with no shadows, warm and a little humid. People had come out of the factory and were standing quietly against the fence. The mechanics tinkered with the engine, the only sound a muffled clink of tools and occasional low comment. They engaged the starter from behind a few times then fiddled some more. Then the engine caught with sudden loud barks; not revving but rather bouts of screaming then cutting out. They kept it going for a minute, probably to get temperature, then let it die. I heard a murmur from our audience.

Lotus 97T
Donnelly came over and slowly, painfully, worked his way into a cockpit that was not built for comfort. One of the mechanics crouched and talked to him about keeping the revs in range while the other provoked the Renault turbo to fire again. The temperamental engine had to be fought and finessed to get the car rolling. It was a bit of a scrap, the car lurching and the motor trying to quit, but Martin won the day and coaxed it onto the track.
The sudden bursts and loss of power made it difficult to drive the car. Still, it moved quickly around the 2.2-mile circuit. After two laps Martin pulled off the track and over to the transporter. The mechanics lifted the engine cover, made some adjustments, and lit it up again. It was only a little better and Donnelly still struggled to get back onto the course.
Out on the long runway straight, into the hairpin and back. Then through the long series of curves. The four of us stood watching the helmet, roll bar and wing scooting above the grass infield, suddenly changing direction and darting to the next corner. Then the car slowed. We all cleared our throats. It was apparent there was work to be done before the car could be shipped to a demonstration the next weekend. Donnelly coasted up to the transporter, and after a brief conversation with the mechanics began the slow process of extricating himself from the car.
Clive drove me to Norwich, where I was staying. I don’t remember our conversation. My head was swimming, trying to process the day’s events and reconcile them with 40 years of watching and reading about Grand Prix racing. The ability to form intelligent sentences had failed me. The shakedown would have been memorable regardless of who drove Senna’s 97, but with Martin Donnelly in the car there was a poignancy at play that brought realities into focus. It’s all a test of limits. That’s something I think about now whenever I hear the term “works driver.”

Martin Donnelly on the crash that almost killed him (Autosport International)

n 1990 the long right-hander around the back of the pits at Jerez was taken in top gear, yet it was bordered by a few metres of grass and an armco barrier.
So when Martin Donnelly’s Lotus 102 speared off into the barrier at 140mph it exploded into pieces. The chassis tore in two and Donnelly was thrown across the track with his seat still strapped to his back.
But thanks to the quick reactions of F1′s medical team, and months of intensive treatment, 20 years later Donnelly is still around to talk about what happened.
I met Donnelly at Autosport International yesterday and he talked a little about the problems with the car and his crash:

You can see, the cockpit sides are wafer thin, there’s nothing to that. So when I had the accident from there forwards [he points at the seat] all shattered.
Martin Donnelly
Donnelly’s injuries were grave. X-rays showed he had bruising on his lungs and brain – the impact was so violent it cracked his crash helmet. He also had severe breaks to both legs and lost a lot of blood.
After being treated by Professor Sid Watkins at the track Donnelly was transferred to a hospital in Seville. During a long recovery he suffered kidney failure and was on dialysis for weeks. For a while it looked as though his right leg might have to be amputated.
It wasn’t – and when I met him the only lingering signs of his terrible injuries was a limp in his leg. He was also reasonably positive about the car despite the compromises involved in its development:

The cockpit was designed for [1989 drivers] Satoru Nakajima and Nelson Piquet, who were about five foot six. But when myself and Derek Warwick got involved, because the regulations said the pedal box had to be in front of the axle line, when we got into the car our knees were on the bulkhead.
So we ended up getting cramp in our legs. We fixed it by bonding this thing on top of it here [he points at the V-shape structure on top of the nose] to give us room and ease the buffetting.
Also, because we’d done a deal with Lamborghini, we had to put a big V12 in the back, where they’d had a Judd before. They had to extend the back end.
But when I drove it I was very privileged and honoured to be an F1 driver.
Martin Donnelly
Had it not been for the crash, Donnelly says he would have stayed at Lotus in 1991:

Before I had my accident we’d signed the option for 1991. I was going to be the number one driver with Mika Hakkinen as number two. But we never got that far.
Martin Donnelly
Today improved impact protection on F1 cars have allowed drivers like Robert Kubica to emerge unscathed from accidents as bad as Donnelly’s – or worse. At Jerez, the corner where Donnelly crashes is now a tight, slow chicane.
Some argue that modern F1 has become ‘too safe’. But when you look at the minimal protection offered by earlier F1 cars it’s not hard to see F1 is better for being too safe rather than too unsafe.
Alonso gives Ferrari boost after worrying start
Saturday 11 February at 14:35 : Feb.11 (GMM) Ferrari's worrying start to the 2012 pre-season got a boost on Friday when Fernando Alonso topped the times in the famous team's new car.
Earlier, when Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz was in the paddock, he wondered to Blick newspaper: "What's up with Ferrari?"
Former Ferrari driver Mika Salo answered: "They're having problems at every corner."
But although not as quick as the impressive Lotus earlier this week, Spaniard Alonso was faster than all comers on the last of the four-day session at Jerez, including Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel who had technical problems.
Typically, Alonso was giving nothing away.
"This time is worth nothing as is the one I set yesterday and those of the previous days," he said.
He was also not getting excited about Lotus' potential title challenge.
"I don't know as even for them it's a bit early and I would rather just say I am very happy to see Kimi (Raikkonen) back.
"He's a great driver and a great person," said Alonso.
2009
Testing in Bahrain was called off after the teams encountered sandstorms at the desert track. Ferrari, BMW and Toyota opted to test at the circuit to avoid the risk of rain shortening their running time. However, all three teams completed just one lap before the officials at the test red flagged the session.
1877
Louis Renault, who was born on this day in Paris, was a French industrialist, one of the founders of Renault and a pioneer of the automobile industry. He built the car firm but his memory is forever tarnished by his collaboration with the Germans during World War Two. He died in liberated France in the end of 1944 under uncertain circumstances awaiting trial, his company was seized and nationalized by the provisionary government of France -- though he was never tried, nor convicted. His were the only factories permanently expropriated by the French government
2001
Michael Schumacher had a road named after him in his home town of Kerpen in Germany. The road leads to his family's kart track and was renamed during a special ceremony. The seven-time world champion said: "It's always comforting to see how much support I get when I come home.
1974
Toranosuke Takagi was born in Shizouka, Japan. He raced in two full seasons in Formula One for Tyrrell in 1998 and Arrows in 1999 but retired from more races than he finished and never scored a world championship point. When he ran out of money as a pay driver, Takagi returned to Japan where he won the Formula Nippon championship before forging a career in Champ Car and Indy Car in the USA. He now runs a kart school trying to develop young talent in his native country.
2005
A test session in Jerez had to be halted after a water truck got stuck in a gravel trap. Jenson Button and Ricardo Zonta were at the track to develop Michelin's wet tyre but had to wait for several hours to start after a truck spraying water on the track slid off the circuit. Its water laden weight meant it could not be easily moved and circuit organisers had to call for a crane to remove it.
Vettel: Gut feeling seems to signal green

Sebastian Vettel got his first taste of Red Bull Racing's RB8 in Jerez but, despite being at the right end of the timesheets, is not about to start making predictions of success.

Despite admitting that it was too early to read much into the relative performances of Red Bull and its rivals during the opening four days of testing in Spain, world champion Sebastian Vettel had a knowing look in his eye.
The German took over from team-mate Mark Webber for the final two days of the Jerez test and was immediately mixing it with the rest of the pacesetters. Although Nico Rosberg, in the 2011-spec Mercedes, and Romain Grosjean, in a low fuel Lotus, put in runs that were beyond the more conventionally set-up RB8, Vettel was happy with his initial performance.
The final day did not go quite as well, with the #1 machine sitting out a large part of the early running after an electrical gremlin forced the team into a precautionary engine change, but he worked his way back up the order after rejoining the fray, ending the day third overall once again.
"We have less grip than we had last season, and I think all of us need some time to adapt to that," he reasoned, "If you take the cars from last year, and the year before, they were basically built around the rear with the double diffuser in 2010 and the blown exhaust last year. That is almost completely gone this year. Yes, we still have an exhaust, but it is almost irrelevant. You realise that when braking, when accelerating and when going into the corners. The only solution to this is mileage.
"Less grip means that we cannot go so fast in the corners and it doesn't allow the tyres to work as well as they used to, but it is pretty cold here and, last year at the tests, we had the same issues with the tyres, which was caused by the cold temperatures.
"Once the season started and we arrived in a 'normal' race weekend climate, everything worked very well, so there's no reason to panic. But you probably have to work a bit differently and adapt your driving style. That's all I can say after only one day in the car."
The teething troubles naturally cost Vettel some of the track time he craved to get on top of the new characteristics, but he was happy to find that the RB8 had pace to play with.
"We had some minor issues over the course of the day - nothing serious, but as it is testing we must dig to the very bottom of them," he noted, "If we were racing, the maxim would be to carry on until it breaks! But you can work on the reliability - a reliable car without speed will very likely never be a winner!"
"It feels good, believe me," he told the official F1 website after completing his first runs in the new car, "It's about time that we go racing again, [and] it's like being home."
Despite being satisfied with his own performances, however, Vettel admitted that he was not about to start predicting fortunes for the season ahead.
"If I were a psychic, I would be able to tell you right away, but I am not," he smiled, "I have done 96 laps and that is definitely not enough to figure out something as complicated as an F1 car. All I can say is that I feel comfortable and the gut feeling seems to signal green."
"It is definitely too early to say anything [about how RBR compares to the opposition]. When you go out at the right time, with the right tyres and low fuel, you can set a good time. My guess is that [at the next test] in Barcelona, we will see what the other cars are made of.
"You cannot go into a season on staged test lap times. I think that teams that are able to do a lot of mileage without issues will be in good shape. Lotus look pretty good from what I've seen. They've been fast and showed a consistently good performance. Ferrari and McLaren are the big question marks - and maybe so are we...."
Asked to describe the difference between the RB7 that carried him to his second title in 2011 and the RB8, which has had to be designed to take into account of various regulation changes, he admitted that he still had to learn all the nuances of the latest machine.