Honda pulls plug on Frankfurt Motor Show

Faced with shrinking sales and an uncertain economic climate, Honda has announced plans to withdraw from the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Citing the 'unprecedented market downturn' and their recent withdrawal from Formula One, the company said the move is part of a coordinated effort to reduce costs in order to strengthen their business position in light of the current economic crisis. Honda who had hoped to debuted their Accord Tourer concept at the show will instead focus on several green initiatives such as expanding fuel cell research, creating more hybrid vehicles, and launching the 'Honda Academy' which is aimed at improving quality and customer service.
While many auto shows have seen serious cuts in manufacturer attendance, Honda's absence may cause other automakers to reconsider their presence at one of the premier industry events of 2009."

Audi to unveil RS3 in Frankfurt

The article quoted here is from the Swedish edition of Auto, Motor & Sport, and they claim to have a source inside the Ingolstadt-based Audi who says the RS3 is coming soon.
Audi has not yet officially unveiled an RS3 but we can let loose our imaginations, can't we?
An RS3 will most likely come with Audi's 2.5 liter, 5-cylinder turbocharged engine first seen in the TT RS. That engine produces 340 hp and 450 Nm of torque. It will also be a strict quattro (all-wheel drive). The Swedish mag is also speculating that an RS3 variant of that engine may be dialed up a little and feature anywhere from between 350 to 400 hp, making the model faster than an R8 with the 4.2 liter FSI engine.
If there is going to be an RS3, the Frankfurt motor show next month would be the ideal place to premiere it and that's what the Swedes at Auto, Motor & Sport are saying.
Looks like we will just have to wait until then !"

guy in gt3 gets flashed by van man towing a lotus - when ridiculous is in a rush

Had a pretty unique experience on Saturday morning last... in preparation for the phoenix park races, I was asked to tow a lotus race car with a Nissan Interstar up to the park. So off I took nice and easy until the rope was taught and proceeded out of the estate and onto the road.first, second and third. right that will do, that's fast enough for this journey. Following the Lotus' owner in his GT3 my mobile began to ring with a flurry of calls...

The nub of the calls were all the same - I wasn't driving fast enough. Can you believe what I write ? It's true, I promise. I was driving at about 40 km/h which in antibody's book is plenty fast enough when towing another vehicle. The calls kept coming until the final call came to pull over. So I did, and I got to drive the GT3 which was a pleasant surprise for a Saturday morning.

After wedging myself into the bucket seats I and finding my way around the cock pit I pulled off like a granny in a Micra. No need to be the big boy this day. Unbelievably stiff clutch and no travel between gears, I thing this is called close ratio gear box ? This is the closest thing to a Massey Ferguson 35 that I have driven. So, everything is going grand until i look in my rear view mirror to see the new driver of the van flashing and waving me on all while sitting on the rear bumper of the GT3. And I did think to myself at that time last Saturday morning, this is ridiculous in a rush.

Phoenix park motor races

Off to the Phoenix park in Dublin today for bi-annual motor races with team oph.ie

Report later....................

OPH.ie

Took a spin to Optimum Performance & Handling (OPH.ie) in Orion Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15, earlier this week, to check out the scene at Dublin's only Lotus and Porsche specialist.

OPH.ie is the brainchild of Dubliner & Lotus Elise Trophy race driver, Connaire Finn, who works closely with his staff to ensure a professional, friendly & personal service.

Clients can relax in a plush, motor-themed, waiting suite where they can enjoy refreshments, while browsing the very latest motoring magazines.

OPH.ie houses a top motor-shop bay, which can house ample cars, with the following services on offer :

Servicing and repairs to : Lotus, Porsche and BMW

Car paint detailing
Track car tuning - including set-up & valeting
Lotus engine conversion
Pre-purchase inspections
Handling optimisation
Expert advice on motorsport participation in Ireland

Over night parts availability ensures a swift service and on show at the facility, to whet your appetite, are both a Porsche 911 GT3 and a fully race prepared Lotus Elise S1.

Connaire as Chairman of Lotus Club Ireland and member of Porsche Club Ireland hopes to grow the business by having an OPH presence at up-coming club events.

Well worth a visit and you might even get a spin in the GT3 !

More details @ http://www.oph.ie/

Imported used cars keep coming

SIMI data states that 46,783 new cars were registered in the state from January to June 2009, down 62% on the same period last year. However, what is more staggering is the amount of imported used cars registered for the same period, 32,041.

For imported used cars to represent over 40% of all cars registered in the state, since the start of the year, shows that the current car market and the VRT system is not viable. Evidence of this fiasco is BMW's decision to offer nearly new UK registered cars here in Ireland through their BMW Sterling Collection programme.

Is there anything that can stop the flow of Irish consumers over the English channel ?

Jay Leno to appear on Top Gear

US TV host and absolute car nut Jay Leno has confirmed on his website, www.jaylenosgarahe.com, that he is to appear on BBC's Top Gear, next season. The show's lead presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, is no stranger to Jay, who occasionally writes a column in The Sunday Times, providing the reader with an alternative view into the motoring world, through the eyes of a yank. Looking forward to the show airing and I'm taking bets if he will wear all denim.