Official: Schumacher returns to with Mercedes F1

Posted December 23, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: F1, Racing
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Mercedes F1 Car - Teaser Image

Wow! What a time this must be for the living legend. One second his career is over (by choice)… the next second he is getting ready to stage a comeback (unsuccessful due to a neck injury)… and now this: Michael Schumacher leaves Ferrari to race for another team! At the age of 41!!!

I just hope that this return will not destroy the legacy he achieved with the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team. Mercedes F1 could be a safe bet considering it is the former World Champion Brawn GP team, although with a new name, look and heavy financial backing. For Schumy’s sake, this car better be a championship winner because if he does not perform to the highest standards, the media will slaughter him. Blindly! They love you when you’re up, and they kick you when you’re down Michael.

So if you thought that the F1 circus couldn’t get any crazier, it’s just gone psycho! The overall value of the sport is about to increase dramatically thanks to one man’s decision. Good luck to him!

Comments: 1 Comment

Gemballa tunes an Enzo for Dubai

Posted December 23, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Afermarket, Automotive
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Gemballa is now setting up shop in Dubai courtesy of the Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari Group. The start of this new relationship kicks off with this insanely modified Enzo, which is already a rare supercar!

This fighter jet look-alike Gemballa will probably have people divided as some will think it might be a bit much. Gemballa have added bits like the monster wing, intakes, aerodynamic bits, a new exhaust system, a front bumper, a rear bumper and side-skirts. No performance figures have been released as of yet due to the fact that the car has not officially been launched.

I must say though that I am a big fan of the interior. Normally, the Enzo has a bare-bone racy cabin, whereas this has a beautiful two-tone theme with a lot of pieces wrapped in quilted red leather.

[Source: GT Spirit]

Comments: 1 Comment

Brake Banzeen’s Dubai Motor Show Highlights: Not my cup of tea

Posted December 23, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Afermarket, Auto Shows
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Blinged out Porsche Cayenne

Blinged out Rolls Royce Phantom

Blinged out BMW X6

Comments: 1 Comment

Launched! Noble M600

Posted December 22, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Automotive, Launched!
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You’re looking at one of the most highly anticipated British supercars, the Noble M600. After the production run of the M400, it was feared that Noble was going to disappear off the map due to some internal struggles. Then reports came out that a newer version was being tested and developed set to be released this year. It has finally arrived!

The car looks to have matured this time around, and honestly it better have, because the price is now a cool ₤200,000 quid! The fit and finish of the interior is definitely from higher grade materials. Power? Strange enough, the car utilizes a 4.4 liter V8 from… get this… Volvo’s C90. But this particular power plant is a totally different animal thanks to twin-turbochargers boosting the V8’s output to 650 horsepower and 618 pound-feet of torque mated to a 6-speed manual.

Throw in the fact that this car only weighs 2,810 lbs and you can imagine the pure adrenaline of sitting behind the wheel of this Brit. Performance numbers being mentioned are 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds flat with a top speed of approx. 360 km/h. God save the queen!

[Source: Autoblog]

Comments: 3 Comments

Lexus LF-A Japanese ad

Posted December 22, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Automotive
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Lexus has put out this advertisement for its LF-A supercar which is mind-boggling. Listen to that V10 wail! I don’t think I have ever heard a production car, or supercar for a matter of fact, put out such a fierce shriek! Amazing!

Comments: 4 Comments

Brake Banzeen’s Dubai Motor Show Highlights: Track and Classic Race Cars

Posted December 22, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Auto Shows
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Classic Alpine Renault race car

Mohammed Bin Sulayem's Toyota Celica GT rally car

KTM Xbow

Maserati GT race car

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GulfRun Post: Technique: Coming to grips with weight transfer

Posted December 21, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: GulfRun Posts, Technique
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Freshly posted an article about weight transfer experienced when pushing a car to its limits. You can read it at the GulfRun blog by clicking the image or HERE.

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Brake Banzeen’s Dubai Motor Show Highlights: Custom Cars & Choppers

Posted December 21, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Afermarket, Auto Shows
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Fab Design SLR
Fab Design SL
Carbon-Bodied Bugatti
Hamann G Wagon
Matte Carrera GT
Custom Choppers

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Brake Banzeen’s Dubai Motor Show Highlights: Concept Cars

Posted December 21, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Auto Shows, Concepts
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BMW M1 Homage Concept

BMW M1 Homage - Rear

Chevy Stingray Concept

Chevy Stingray Concept - Rear

Comments: 3 Comments

Brake Banzeen’s Dubai Motor Show Highlights: The Rides

Posted December 21, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Auto Shows, Automotive
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Bentley Mulsanne

Bertone Mantide

BMW M3 Matte

Cadillac CTS Coupe

SSC Ultimate Aero

SLS Middle Eastern exclusive edition

Zenvo ST1

Aston V12 Vantage

Alfa Romeo 8C Spyder

Comments: 2 Comments

General Motors: Saab’s murderer!

Posted December 20, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Automotive
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The unfortunate news has come out that General Motors (GM) will be shutting down Saab operations immediately after unsuccessfully attempting to find a buyer for the Swedish brand. 3,400 people will be let go and a 1,100 worldwide dealer network will dissolve.

This is the harsh reality of how greed can destroy something so great! Saabs were cars with character. Turbocharged and efficient Swedish machines. Like Volvo, they too emphasized a great deal on safety, except they liked their cars to be sporty and perform as well.

GM purchased Saab, adding it to an already vast portfolio where it just wouldn’t fit in. The deal was fueled by money-hungry execs, who took the small guy (Saab) in and milked whatever value he had left in him, while leaving him with no clear strategy or vision. All they could offer him were platforms which didn’t add any value to the brand and a re-badged GMC Envoy. Thanks for nothing GM! R.I.P. Saab!

Comments: 2 Comments

Porsche GT3 rally mix

Posted December 19, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Drifting, Racing, Rallying
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Found this compilation video at 0-60 of the Porsche GT3 road rallies. It’s quite a lot of fun to watch these road-hugging machines negotiate different turns with handbrake and throttle induced powerslides.

Comments: 3 Comments

Brake Banzeen arrives at the Dubai Motor Show!

Posted December 18, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Auto Shows
Tags: , ,

Just landed in Dubai for the day to check out the Dubai International Motor Show. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the newly launched cars and some others which I haven’t seen in the flesh yet (i.e. Ferrari 458 Italia, Mercedes SLS). Stay tuned over the next few days for Brake Banzeen’s coverage!

Comments: 1 Comment

Balboni drifts his Balboni

Posted December 18, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Drifting, Rants
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This is a cool, somewhat repetitive, amateur video of Valentino Balboni drifting a Lamborghini LP550-2 Gallardo Balboni Edition around what appears to be a small oval track in front of some fans. At the end of the video clip, you can see sparks coming out of the tires from how worn out they are. It must be cool thrashing a Lambo named after you!

[Source: Autoblog]

Comments: 3 Comments

Tail happy Porsche GT3 RS!

Posted December 17, 2009 by el wehbi
Categories: Drifting, Rants
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A great Porsche GT3 RS video which could have done without the music playing in the background. I like it though because it shows the GT3 RS in some drift-happy action zipping around the track. Enjoy!

Comments: 2 Comments

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