Because of testing bans in place this season in F1

Ferrari just announced that injured driver Felipe Massa could be back in the saddle as early as Monday. Massa hasn't been in an F1 car since July's Hungarian Grand Prix, when a spring from another car flew up and hit him above his eye, fracturing his skull.

The first time he has even been back on track was last week when he took the wheel of a kart. Because of testing bans in place this season in F1, Massa can't drive the current car he was running until Hungary. As he gets back up to speed, the FIA has granted him permission to drive a 2007-spec car fitted with GP2 tires.

Massa has also spent time on Ferrari's racing simulator. Word has it he's already mastered Barcelona and is working hard at beating the Interlagos circuit now. Before taking the wheel of the 2007 car, he still needs to pass an examination, but once he's cleared, he could be on track in Italy by Monday. This will be testing only as the driver isn't expected to compete for Ferrari any more this season.

Rossion Q1

As we roll away from Rossion’s headquarters, we’re on I-95, stuck behind a pack of slow-moving snowbirds in late model sedans. A Hino cube truck with two flat-brim wearing bros pulls up alongside and gives us a thumbs-up, and some kind of arcane hand signal that means “gun it”. The Rossion obliges, with the 450 horsepower V6 growling through the rev range, and the car shoots forward, the crisp pshhhhtt of the blow-off valve punctuating the up shift to 4th gear. Peak power is made from 3600 rpm until just below 5200 rpm, a fairly broad range that allows for more sedate driving in slow moving traffic, but giving you easy access to the fierce acceleration that can be tapped when the road is straight and the local law enforcement is nowhere to be seen.
There are varying degrees of fast – cars like the Honda S2000 or Lotus Elise make you giggle as they slice through the turns, screaming at the top of their lungs as you use momentum to go fast. Others, like the Nissan GT-R, induce a hearty belly laugh as you marvel at how such large, lumbering creatures can defy physics with every move. At the top of the food chain are the cars so inconceivably fast that they force even the most pious to unleash a string of expletives that would make George Carlin’s “7 words” sound like a nursery rhyme. The Q1 is more than qualified for membership into this club.
Rossion claims that the Q1 will hit 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. We were unable to independently verify these claims, but we can tell you that this car is brutally fast. The car’s 450 horsepower only has to contend with about 2,600 lbs, roughly what a new Mazda MX-5 weighs. Drop it down a gear while cruising and the car will explode forward like a Nolan Ryan fastball.
The view out the cockpit is sublime (for that very moment, at least) with the low seating position and narrow windscreen giving you the impression that you’re piloting something with a jet engine, and even the somewhat vague shifter becomes an afterthought as the V6 builds to a snarling crescendo, only to be broken up by the of the blow-off valve, which sounds like a bull exhaling through its snout.

Aston Martin Vantage

The Aston Martin Vantage 6-liter V12 engine makes 517 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, and it only comes with a 6-speed manual. The V8 and V12 Vantages are rear-wheel drive with the engine mounted under the hood, just behind the front axle.

Performance is more than respectable in the V8 coupe and roadster, with a top speed of 175 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds. The V12, of course, goes a bit further, to a maximum of 190 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds -- nearly a full second faster over the V8 model. The V12 also upgrades its brakes to the carbon ceramic variety.

All Vantages have anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic braking, electronic brake assist, tire pressure monitoring, and dynamic stability control. DSC in the V12 includes track mode for a stiffer, more responsive ride during performance driving. The Vantage also features what Aston Martin calls the "Emotion Control Unit", which starts the car when a special key fob is pushed into a slot on the dash.

Aston Martin One-77 to make 750-hp

Aston Martin today confirmed that the 2011 Aston Martin One-77 will be powered by a 7.3L V12 engine making a certified 750-hp and a maximum torque of 553 lb-ft.

Click here for more news on the Aston Martin One-77.

“The One-77 is approaching a production reality and of course, there is considerable excitement in the project,” said Dr. Ulrich Bez, Chief Executive of Aston Martin. “Now the next steps are all about details and refinement to complete the composition. I know the final car will demonstrate what the Aston Martin team is capable of.”

Deliveries of the Aston Martin One-77 are scheduled to begin in early 2011.

Follow the jump for the press release and the fourth part of the One-77 film series.

Refresher: Power for the Aston Martin One-77 comes from a 7.3L V12 producing more than 750-hp and a peak torque of 553 lb-ft. The engine is mated to a new 6-speed gearbox that allows the One-77 to go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of over 200 mph. Only 77 units of the One-77 will be made.

Aston Martin One-77 – New Specs

Aston Martin One-77 definitive sports car, one that epitomises everything Aston Martin from technology, the hand-craftsmanship of the hand rolled aluminium panels to the attention to detail.

Dr. Ulrich Bez, Chief Executive of Aston Martin said “The One-77 is approaching a production reality and of course, there is considerable excitement in the project,” and “Now the next steps are all about details and refinement to complete the composition. I know the final car will demonstrate what the Aston Martin team is capable of.”

Some beautiful detailed One-77 exterior, on the side mirror mounts molded into the door shells and close-ups of the wraparound jewel-like tail light. Aston points out that the Gaydon-built One-77 is subject to the same thorough development programme as the rest of the range.

Chris Porritt, One-77 Programme Manager said, “We wanted to create something that wows you as much when you see what’s under the skin as the exterior styling itself. We started by identifying the most technologically exciting front-engined, rear-wheel drive cars in the world: those from the DTM race series. We then applied the principles and technology that feature heavily in their design and translated it to a road car application.”

debut for Range Rover’s new leaner, greener flagship SUV

Range Rover is taking a leaf out of Lotus’ book and adding lightness to its new flagship off-roader to dramatically improve fuel efficiency. The next generation of Range Rover is due to arrive this time in 2012, and will feature all-alloy construction for the first time.

The aluminium chassis will draw on Jaguar’s experience when building the current XJ. However, Land Rover’s engineers have done so much work to reinforce the car’s underpinnings and monocoque bodyshell that the firm calls it a separate platform. The chassis will also underpin the next Range Rover Sport, which currently uses the Discovery's mechanicals.

The Range Rover will become the world’s first all-alloy off-roader, ensuring that the newcomer stays ahead of the pack. The firm is targeting a weight cut of over 400kg, taking the kerbweight closer to 2,100kg.

As you can see from this engineering prototype, the newcomer’s wheelbase doesn’t change much from the current model. The finished car will feature a slightly longer set of dimensions in both the wheelbase and track, to liberate extra room inside.

And while the current car’s interior is among the best available on any luxury vehicle, the next Range Rover will feature a more spacious cabin, particularly in the rear, and a hike in quality of materials, fit and finish.

Designed by Gerry McGovern, the new Range Rover will feature the clamshell bonnet, floating roof and jewel-like lights of the current car, albeit with a lower roof and rounder front end to improved aerodynamics.

Engines will begin with improved TDV6 and TDV8 diesels which get stop-start for the first time, mated to an improved eight-speed auto gearbox. Petrol units will follow shortly after launch, followed by a diesel-electric hybrid.

Off-road performance will still be exemplary, with the latest generation of the firm’s Terrain Response system controlling the power delivery to keep you going whatever the landscape throws at you.

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