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This is the Toyota Le Mans prototype pulling out of the pits in hybrid mode before then exploding with a mighty V8 roar. It might sound like something out of Star Wars but it's the future of racing. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5879656&view=rss&microfeed=true And the first automaker to develop a Porsche-style flywheel KERS hybrid system for the street could be... Volvo? File this one under How the Swedes Got Their Shwerve Back. More »
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It looks like changes to the KERS system in F1 cars will allow them to go electric-only in the pits for 2013 using a significantly more powerful EV system. Is this a greenwashing job or awesome tech? (H/T to Twiggy!) More »
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After a winter off-season extended by the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Formula One finally returned on a windy autumn afternoon in Melbourne. Four months without a Grand Prix, it would have been a fun race even if it weren’t fun. But it was fun. Warning: spoilers. More »
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If there'd been any question whether the return of KERS energy-recovery and new adjustable rear wing would mean more passing in F1, McLaren's Jenson Button answered it this past weekend in Australia. Yes, Button pushed the button, and it worked. More »
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With Formula 1's season set to start in Melbourne Sunday, Red Bull had Sebastian Vettel explain the science behind the hybrid KERS system and adjustable rear wing. That KERS button could be handy on a few more steering wheels. More »
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Good morning Fiorano! A FerrariChat member caught what looks to be Ferrari's 599 GTB Fiorano update being flogged on, you guessed it, the Fiorano test track. Is it the next 599, or the first look at the upcoming 599 hybrid? More »
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Petit Le Mans, the 10-hour endurance race at Road Atlanta, is this weekend. Peugeots, a Porsche hybrid, Panoz — If you've got a TV and you love cars, what the hell else would you watch on Saturday? More »
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Ferrari CEO Amadeo Felisa recently confirmed that the Prancing Horse plans to release a streetable version of the 599XX. The car will be dubbed 599 GTO, weigh 3600 pounds, and produce 650 HP. A range-topping Enzo successor is also planned. More »
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With the wacky 2009 championship down to its antepenultimate race at Suzuka Circuit, Jenson Button’s eroding cushion of points was looking increasingly fragile. Rubens Barrichello and Sebastian Vettel smelled blood. Spoilers, shmoilers! More »
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Following his second pole, Jenson Button of Brawn GP maintains his immaculate record in a race suspended after 31 laps of torrential rain. BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Toyota's Timo Glock round out an unusual podium. More »
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Based on the race-proven 908 HDi LMP racer, the new Peugeot 908 HY adds electric power to the already potent mix in the form of an 80 HP gear-driven electric motor/generator that replaces the starter motor on the standard car. Juice is stored in 10 lithium-ion battery packs strategically placed in several locations to maximize weight distribution. Also squeezing out juice for the batteries is a KERS system that makes use of energy from the brakes. Altogether, the electric motor's 80 HP can be used for about 20 seconds every lap, employed at the driver's discretion. More »
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According to BMW Sauber, the reason behind the KERS electric-shock incident, seen above, which occurred during testing at the Jerez Speedway, was magic. Or at least, that's what the formal explanation looks like if you don't have a solid knowledge of electrical engineering. We're pretty good at chasing sparks and figuring out circuits, but wading through the engineer-speak is a toughy here. After slipping on our decoder ring, it sounds like the combination of a bad KERS controller and a leaky capacitor led to some extra electrons floating around. Deadly? No. Enough to shock the crap out of someone, though. See if you can decode it yourself; key quote below the fold. More »
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In the ongoing saga of the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) introduction to F1, some teams are beginning to wonder openly if the devices will be ready for competition in the 2009 Formula One season. Well-publicized events like the BMW mechanic being shocked, a battery fire at Renault and testing issues have raised concerns over safety, while cost and competitiveness are also causing heartburn. Since rules changes require a unanimous vote among teams, and Williams, BMW Sauber, and Honda think everything should move forward, the protestations led by Renault will likely fall on deaf ears. That said, the 2009 season will probably be plagued with electrical demons nasty enough to make Joe Lucas cry uncle. [AutoSport] More »
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Remember when that mechanic for BMW Sauber's F1 team got electrocuted after he touched their KERS-equipped (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) Formula One car? Now we've got video. True, it wasn't enough to kill the poor guy, but still a pretty rough day if you're that mechanic, right? No, there weren't any giant lightning bolts emanating from the car as we had hoped, but "shocking" nonetheless. [Gridcrasher] More »
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Following the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) shock received by a BMW/Sauber mechanic earlier this week, Autosport reports Toyota may not have their KERS system ready in time for the start of the 2009 season. Toyota F1 team president John Howett expressed concern about the new technology in an interview, saying "Whether [the issues] can be overcome to a satisfactory, safe level before the first race, I can't hand-on-heart tell you." Fans, on the other hand, are expressing great interest in the electrified lithium-ion-coated exploding-battery fest that the 2009 season promises to become. More »
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BMW Sauber Racing was out testing their kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), a hybrid setup mandated for the 2009 Formula One season, when a mechanic pushing the car got zapped. Thankfully, the guy wasn't seriously injured, but it seems all of the new-fangled gizmo-gadgetry associated with KERS has been acting up a bit lately. More »
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