Veyron Tyres Last Just 37 Miles at Top Whack

While everyone else was drooling over the Bugatti Veyron Super Sports’s jaw dropping 267 mph (431 km/h) performance on the BBC’s Top Gear programme last night, Tyres & Accessories was observing the tyre geek angle – at those kinds of speeds even the best tyres simply don’t last very long.

During his report, May pointed out that Bugatti engineers had told him the car’s tyres lasted for around 37 miles a speeds of up to 258 mph (414 km/h). At speeds beyond this, however, the tyres’ life expectancy is somewhat more opaque: “Ask an admiral how deep his submarine goes,” Top Gear’s May was told.
http://www.tyrepress.com/News/20106.html

Helio Castroneves loses his freaking mind on camera

Mon Jul 26 08:27am PDT

By Jay Busbee

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.
This, friends, is something to see. Helio Castroneves was leading Sunday's Honda Indy Edmonton race, but race officials ruled he illegally blocked Will Power and ordered him to back off the throttle. He refused and crossed the finish line first, but IndyCar officials stripped him of his victory. And oh, he wasn't happy. Here are the final few laps, followed by Helio's explosion, which happens about four minutes in:

Nice! Helio was fired up enough to take on a security guard!
Yeah! YEAH! Now that's a quality tantrum! And you know, he may in fact have a point. Still, the race is done, but this tantrum will live on forever. 

From Dynamo to Dinosaur: Why Japan Is Faltering

Sometimes Japan seems to be on the wrong continent. Everywhere else in Asia, from Shanghai to Mumbai to Jakarta, there is an aura of perpetual motion, a sense that tomorrow will be better than today. The region is on a frenetic 365-day-a-year hurtle into a brighter future. Japan once shared Asia's dynamism and mission. But not anymore. Today, Japan is an island of inertia in an Asia in constant flux. Japan's political leadership is paralyzed, its corporate elite befuddled, its people agonized about the future. While Asia lurches forward, Japan inches backward. Read more here…

(See pictures of stagnant Japanese economy.)

(Read "Can Japan Put Its Economy Back on Track?")

See pictures of Japan's relationship with the world.

See the new activism of Japan's youth.

(Read "Japan's Government: Five Ways to Fix the Economy.")

(See pictures of Japan in the 1980s and today.)

See pictures of Japanese design's greatest hits.

See the top 10 Japanese robots.

Read "Hatoyama Failed as PM but Set Japan on a New Course."

See "World Economic Forum: Davos 2010."

(See pictures of Tokyo Auto Show.)

(See pictures of young Japanese women in despair.)

IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT VIDEO

Corvette Engine Build Experience -- Experience the LS9 Build (HD)

2011 Chevrolet Corvette - Still Building Rockets

Michelin’s Motorised Wheel – Coming Soon to a Peugeot Near You?

At last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show vehicle manufacturer Peugeot presented its BB1 concept, a car just 2.5 metres long and powered by electric motors placed inside the rear wheels - units designed in association with Michelin.

This extraordinary vehicle is now a step closer to going on sale after Peugeot confirmed it has shifted the BB1 from concept car status to project status. A production version should thus be unveiled in 2012 or 2013 and most likely closely resemble the concept car’s design.

New York Times Auto News

Social Networking for Cars

By JOHN R. QUAIN

Meet AJ, the 2011 Ford Fiesta that has been modified so that it can send automatic Twitter messages (and photos) as it drives.

G.M. Joint Venture Introduces New Brand to China

By PAUL STENQUIST

Baojun, which means "treasured horse" in Chinese, will produce low-cost cars and will be aimed at buyers outside of China's major metropolitan areas.

Most Car Arguments Are Over Directions

By JOHN R. QUAIN

A survey of 2,200 individuals found that more than a third of all arguments in the car are over directions.

Autobahn Closed for Festival

By RICHARD S. CHANG

A 40-mile stretch of Germany's Autobahn was closed to motor vehicles to make way for a street festival.

Driving the Nissan Leaf Reveals Range Variability

By JERRY GARRETT

In a drive of a preproduction Nissan Leaf electric car, a writer discovers how much the car's 100-mile range can vary.