CarMadMike

Kill it? A financially stable sport (for those that run it) that still has a fairly huge audience around the world? That seems completely logical, thanks for your input, please, don't hesitate to give more. 425 Million global viewers $500 million profit

Really like these wheels and I literally HATE 99% of aftermarket rims! They'll transform the car I think :) Good purchase, they don't look too big for the car which is a big positive.

Hey :duck:s, I spend an unhealthy amount of time reading Jalopnik, Autocar, AutoExpress, Pistonheads, Autoblog etc (Usually as proscratination, to avoid having to revise/do any work) and come across many interesting articles that aren't about the latest car release or motorsport events that some people may miss or not realise they're worth reading. So here's a place to post them and hopefully discuss them! Mercedes 190E EVOII - $700k?! - Jalopnik I didn't even know the existence of EVO II 190Es, I know only 500 were made but still. He makes a valid point, a 700k classic car should A) Be in slightly better condition unless they're race-wounds and B) No where near enough information on it, for a 7K C-class maybe it'd be okay with that much info, but for a car 100 x the cost of one, simply not acceptable. Bloodhound: How do you stop a 1000mph car? - Topgear If anyone hasn't been following the Bloodhound SSC construction I highly recommend catching up on it, a highly entertaining and jaw-dropping feat of engineering! The fact the F-Type's V8 engine is simply only good enough as a fuel pump shows just how mammoth a task this will be. Should Formula 1 be very worried about its future? - Autocar The lack of manufacturers is indeed very worrying in F1 but the fact it's not the most discussed issue with F1 at the moment shows just how many problems the sport has. I love it so hate to accept just how many issues it has, I don't think it's anywhere near as boring as it is criticised to be but I do think that people are correct in calling out most of the other issues (Lack of manufacturers, Ecclestone's leadership, some less-exciting tracks, increasing costs, the strategy group being elitist and many more). DISCUSS AND POST YOUR OWN FINDINGS BELOW! :nods:

What a fantastic race! Watched over 21 hours of the thing, now i'm exhausted but it was definitely worth it, always entertaining. Clarification of the final winners: LMP1 1. #19 Porsche 2. #17 Porsche 3. #7Audi LMP2 1. #47 Oreca 2. #38 Gibson 3. #26 Ligier GTE Pro 1. #64 Corvette 2. #71 Ferrari 3. #51 Ferrari GTE Am 1. #72 Ferrari 2. #77 Dempsey 911 3. #62 Ferrari

Also worth noting the #17 penalty (1 minute standing still in the pit box) which is why it dropped to the position it's in. And the #97 Aston Martin Art Car blowing its engine too, it was in a good standing for its GTE class, such a shame.

Renault Alpine Celebration Concept Shown at Le Mans to celebrate the 60th birthday of Alpine. There IS a two-door coupé coming from Renault but they say this isn't it (?????WHY.DO.DIS.DEN?????), and that it's simply a design study. I much preferred this Alpine design study anyway: The RenaultSport Megane 270 has turned into a complete beast of a car, if the 2 door coupé can be anything similar to that then I look forward to this immensely, however I'm not getting my hopes up.

The safety car system, the automated slow zone bit anyway, is new this year so I don't think they've ironed out the kinks too much, though yeah it's got some things needing fixing. So as we come up to the 1/4 point of the race, with 18 hours to go, this is what the race is looking like: LMP1: 1. #9 Audi 2. #17 Porsche - though it's just pitted, was leading before the scheduled pit. 3. #7 Audi 4. #19 Porsche Audi seem to have the upper hand, the #17 porsche is giving them their biggest challenge and has been leading for most of it, however the #9 Audi has repeatedly set the fastest laps and has been biting on the #17's arse for a lot of it too. LMP2: 1. #47 KCMG 2. #46 Oreca Thriet 3. #36 Alpine 4. #48 Murphy Quite a boring class imo, the #47 hasn't been challenged much. GTE Pro: 1. #99 Aston 2. #64 Corvette 3. #97 Aston 3. #91 Manthey Porsche Always entertaining The #64 corvette has been in the front for a fair bit and has had to hold off the Astons who were rather fast at the start of the race, though Astons are currently leading. GTE AM 1. #98 Aston 2. #72 SMP Ferrari 3. #53 Viper 4. #83 Ferrari Entertaining too, the lead is by no means set to be taken by anyone in particular. ------ Talking points: - Porsche 911's reliability seems to be a question, 2 have blown their engines. - the Audi #8 LMP1 Crash was insane, took 4 mins in the pits and the car was back out again good as new: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNFrMLfaNys - The number #42 LMP2 car was in second place for a fair bit, but seemed to lose power, unsure if it has retired but it's lost its position anyway. - RAIN is possible though by no means definite, it's passing nearby soon: Doug Schneider on Twitter: As I post this, 18:06 mins to go, and it's starting to go dark :)

I think it looks better with it on, though yeah the timing isn't great tim :p Car's looking nice and clean, nice :D Any plans in the pipeline for it, other than possibly removing the hardtop again? :cheeky:

Ford GT Le Mans entry... Jesus christ, that's all I can say :eek:

Mansory have given their 6x6 G63 a facelift... Source 829 bhp and 737lb ft of torque. I want one :leaves: I don't think i'd have the cajones to drive it on the road or anything or be seen in it, but I'd like to own one, and hide it in a private field or something.

:confused: I'll have a 'sorry u r ryt' card sent to the postcode I gave you in the chatbox. Not looking as if it's got the sleekest form in that pic tbh, but it's not worth judging anything by it so I shalln't.

Source Oh dear lord. Those kidney's are ridiculous, about 70% too big. Give me an S-Class any day of the week. The interior looks pretty well, standard? Yes the seats look ridiculously comfy, but the rest of it doesn't really scream 'i'm the big $$$$ spender and i have something you dont have in your plebian 5 series' does it? BMW need a reshuffle in their design department desperately imo. Look what this used to be...

Yah, so many awful film trailers at the moment. They shouldell us the rough plot, trailers such as the Martian give us questions and answers (followed by more questions), we should just be left with a lot of questions to be answered instead. The bond video works well as it is just a rough teaser and yes, we know once whoever gets in that place takes off it's going to come down but we don't have any idea how important that is to the plot etc. That will most likely be a 3-4 minute part of the film and we don't even know what it's about etc, whereas the whole explosions and the people rescuing Damon in the Martians shows us way too much, we know basically what's going to happen as a consequence to the first half of the film simply due to the trailer.

As much as I'd hate to see a US team dominate the sport, I do hope HaasF1's entry into F1 can stir something interesting up. Or perhaps any other new team in 2016, I think they said there's space for one more? A new team with William's kind of pace would spice things up.

Got 4 seconds into that Hunger Games trailer before realising it probably isn't a good idea until I watch Part 1 :fp: Also :D This film can do no wrong, I'll be sat in the cinema with a grin from ear-to-ear even if it is an awful film, because bond.

My main issue with it is that it tends to side nearer to McLaren than Alfa on the soul-o-meter. It just feels so technological and mechanical, it doesn't feel like the batmobile you'd get emotionally attached to, you wouldn't get upset if someone scratches one of its afterburners or if bird-poo stains the matt-black armour. You wouldn't wake up in the morning and hurry on down to your batcave to stare a it's lustful stance. , with a pininfarini coach-built body this could have been stunning.

The new 2016 Batmobile: source I'm not sure I like it, - Absolutely awful visibility, I hope it comes with a rearview camera. - Parking sensors will most likely get irritating if they get set off by incoming ammunition. - It isn't congestation charge exempt, they need to catch up with todays technology, flame-throwing exhausts are so 2012. - It's a bit chavvy isn't it? I'm sure the batmobile without the Bat-Sport bodykit will be much classier. - Not great on storage is it, and the way you enter the cockpit isn't very practical when you've got a few bag-for-lifes full of Kale. - Limited colour offerings, this would look fantastic in Volcano Red. - Absolute arse to change the tyres, not exactly your average 'road-side puncture'. On the plus side, at least the door mechanism makes it easy to get in and out when in a tight car parking space, and I'd imagine every car parking space will be tight in this thing.

Was the ending (no spoilers) not too much of a cliffhanger it's worth waiting until the next one is out though? That's why I've waited. I'm looking for a decent film to watch on Friday with a bottle of Prosecco and a pizza and I love the hunger games, but I haven't read the books so don't want to be left wanting the next film ASAP.

Amazing tune.

I've not watched that many films in 2015 due to not being able to go to the Cinema much, so can I ask if anyone's seen the following films and if so, are they any good? - Avengers 2, the first one was great but i've heard the second one was surprisingly dull, dull? a superhero ensemble cast blockbuster? A huge error on the behalf of the director if so. - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, i've put off seeing this as I've heard it's pretty boring as a single film but will be great when combined with part 2, is it any good? - Mad Max: Supposedly bonkers, it it any good?

Glad to hear. I'm also interested in Paper Towns, I'm intrigued to see if Cara Delevigne will life up to the hype as an actress or crash and burn, I'd quite like her to do well but I'm a but dubious at the moment. I too like John Green's books and I hope the film is half decent.

Hey :duck:s! I'm not sure if we currently have a thread to discuss movie trailers and films we're looking forward to seeing on TDUCK, we have Thread to discuss films and TV we've already seen but I think a place to discuss upcoming films would be good too. Has anyone else read the book The Martian here? I thought it was great, the trailer for the movie was released earlier and it looks amazing, though beware this is one of those trailers that gives away 99% of the plot, coming November 25: Something a bit different, released this month and looks rather fun: With Jurassic World coming out soon too, anyone looking forward to that? It's not my favourite kind of film so I won't be rushing out to the cinema to see it I don't think. I do like Chris Pratt though :)

Alonso has retired from the previous 3 races, what's the point in making him faster if he can only go half the race? Did honda think they were signing up for Formula E? he can't jump out at the half way point and hop into a second car. I simply refuse to acknowledge this underlying progress while they're still having such large issues, I think this is the first weekend I've seen them start to understand this too. However to start coming out on the defensive and say that people are pushing them down is a bit weird, they've got a huge fanbase, they've got insane financial backing, they're part of that crappy elitist 'F1 Strategy Group', mentioning that people are wanting them to fail is absolutely ridiculous. I want them to do well, I'm only critical because I'm a big fan of McLaren. I'm not asking for Honda Employees to perform a miracle or do some Magic as you inferred, I'm simply asking them to do what I know is possible, because errrr every other constructor is managing to do it. Renault have had their fair share of problems but they're still not as bad as Honda. On a related note, i'll leave this here: 'Concerns grow for Whitmarsh' :lol: Concern grows for Whitmarsh Sniff Petrol

The new 7 series (Merc has posted some info on this in here previously) was accidentally released on the Austrian BMW configurator: It isn't looking good imo, not good at all.

Yes, I know. Cost aside, I want to know what improvements you'll feel in the 300k Bentayga over the 150-170k Range Rover. The RR is pretty god damned luxurious so Bentley will need to make sure they bring their A-Game where the interior is concerned. The new Q7 is packed full of new tech, if that's the main difference between the two vehicles then it's a shame, the newest RR is already a few years old so being more advanced in that way is expected nevermind a 'bonus'. I hope it doesn't simply come down to 'this costs more expensive, so therefore you'll want to be seen in it over that awful plebian RR'. Basically if it's a Q7 with a bigger engine and a bentley badge then :(