MTM Audi TTRS, A Bugatti Veyron goes for a Swim, Ferrari Turbocharged Engine Rumors, Shakedown - 11/12/2009

Rally America = Best racing ever... WRC not so bad either

noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! not another Veyron!!!!! btw, nice shakedown.
i think that the only racing that should exist is F1, ALMS, and Formula D. all others are just for the money or stupid.

Could we see some "green" cars (hybrids, electric, alternative fuels) on FLDetours? 

It would be an awesome way to get the word out about new technology hitting the streets!

Going green in racing could help more with revolutionizing the whole auto industry. Put that awareness out.

If Ferrari dont want turbo lag, why dont they just use a supercharger instead?

i just car about RACING!! not about marketing! Motor sports should be all about top engineering!! I

LA Auto show!! I go to the press preview night every year, have for like the last 10 years! Let's do an FLDetours on Angeles Crest while you guys are out here!!

So here is a crazy idea. What if racing teams were established like the NFL. State or City based teams that compete on a national level on national tracks. Maybe it would even be split to zones like North, South, East, West, etc. Then have the teams compete with the same car in all different types of racing. Hill Climbs, Road Courses, Endurance, Rally, Rally-Cross,....you get the point. I would also love to see someone build an American version of the Nurburgring. Anyway that's my two cents. Love the show and next to Stacie David from the old Trucks, Derek D. is my favortite Autoshow Host. Oh and say wasssup to Shubin,Jr.....Hey, how 'bout it!

going green could revolutionize racing. with new rules in a 50/50 split in electric/combustion provided power would also be interesting & possibly new tech for the streets. it's already crossed my mind in the integration of the 2.

that was a great shakedown... really deep and brings up a lot of things that arent often considered when looking at the evolution of racing and what its becoming.  and good job to you guys fld team, always a pleasure..

Nice shakedown.  Definitely Lemans ftw... i liked watching a variety of cars, and watching "Truth in 24" totally upped the respect for endurance racing.

Definitely must agree that the companies appealing most to racing enthusiasts are those who are producing factory-prepped racers (i.e. Porsche GT3 cup, BMW M3 GTS, etc)

Most fun I've ever had is going to the track when your buddy is racing.  Whether autox, open track days, or even ... midnight drag racing  :O   ... always fun seeing what grassroots racers can do.
 
AND YOU BETTER GET BACK TO MORE CAR PORN NEXT WEEK!!

Why is FLD's phone number an LA area code? I'm at USC right now... DD, are you secretly my neighbor or something? :)

Great Shakedown Leo. I like the backyard, private team racing. Gives me hope of someday being able to afford to do this. Me, being an up-and-coming mechanic, I still cant afford even an old Miata to get onto the track. But someday! Tools are too god damn expensive. Nascar sucks.

FLD, thanks for being.  Leo, talk about fantastic, damn I see why you get paid.  Le Mans and ALMS (style) is the way, recognizable vehicles, multiple classes, small to big names, on pavement, most weather conditions, flash to pass (still looks cool), anytime of the day, hills, more than turning one direction, international, fuel development, and history behind the race.

hey Very intresting Topic Leo, I Watch F!, NASCAR, Indy, LE MANS, Porsche GT-3, drag Racing, CORR Series and A1 GP.   I think Racing Should be decided on the Fans, and they Should a hav a Pole Lik Nascar des on its Website, and Lets the Fans Choose Daily!!!!   Racing Should be Small Private and Affordable, Not Super F1 Expensive for Every One of these Big Series, thats what i Lik Watching, True Young guns/Rookies going at it on the Track and Watching them make a Name for Themself!

Well racing, racing, racing? Hmmmm, it's all about your personality and your pocketbook, it is about your social class. If your the average middle class joe and mary sixpack, then nascar and the show might be your scene. If you get tired of the exact same cars going in perfect ovals with only two turns, one at each end, all with different paint jobs and actually called a different model name, then probably not. Yes the drivers still have skill, even though there are always wrecks. Thats because there is to many cars on the track, and to many teams, which is mostly big corporate sponsors. nascar tech does not sell cars on Monday, because it does not let cars be different, nor does that tech really make it in to most of the cars we drive. F1 more interesting in many ways, the track vary a great deal more, even though they are still very much dictated what they can do, the tech does trickle down to street cars. The problem is still big corporate teams. back in the day when the statement was made that win on Sunday, Sell on Monday was in an era when the cars that were being raced, were much more closely related to what people could buy. they were extremely built versions, but often with the same engine, body, and more. This is why it sold cars. The public could identify with these race cars, and they could have aspirations of their own to build their car to race at least on the grass roots level. Grass roots racing is almost always more interesting to most people. There are some big series with factory weight that are still somewhat grassroots. DTM is a good example. This is why the sport compact scene took off, Tuner cars. People seen Time Attack, they seen rally, they seen drag racing, they seen drifting, even GT and sports car racing, give people a modified version of the real car that they can buy often. they see people like them not only pitting driver skill and talent each other, but also their own skill and knowledge it took to build a better handling, faster car, that sometimes is even driven home from the race track after competing or winning. These cars are driven on drag tracks all and on tracks with more turns and twist than most people thought possible, and it is always more about racing than show. So real car and race fans prefer this kind of racing, not the show. the racing is actually a side distraction at these larger corporate kind of events, its THE SHOW that everybody goes for. Whatever happened to letting innovation happen, if a team makes better technology now it is outlawed often in some racing, but isn't building a better mousetrap part of the sport, not just who is the best driver? 

We want more real RACING. there is still aplace for big stuff like F1 where a lot of technology comes from, but we want more real racing with real type cars, even if they are extremely modified, that we can identify with, MAYBE EVEN BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hybrids in cars are marketing gimmicks ... while in race cars they have limited effectiveness and require some one compitant to design which Toyota is incapable of understanding 

racing is a bought proving teams and technologies against each other. size and who runs the teams is irrelevant as long as a series stays true to this and doesn't become a redneck Mexican wrestling sport like nascar

Racing is all about passion, so I would support private teams, but nevertheless, sponsors are needed to finance the sport. Green Racing sounds good to me as long as it's not boring. Le Mans started with alternative fuels like synthetic Diesel - seems to do very well. But even electric cars like the Tesla roadster have some racing potential. And if the cars were just not quite as fast, i wouldn't care as long as there is real racing involved

Racing shouldn't be for the big companies.  If you can pay your way to race and have a qualified driver.  Then race.  The payoff should be limited to challenge the builders/owners to see what tech they can put in their cars.  On the fly testing.  And oh, the TTRS...we'll see it here in the US.  All we'll have to do is buy the parts and have them shipped.  It'll be here, but probably not advertised like the one in your segment.

SOAPBOX !!!!! and street louge, green racing would be good as long as they find a better alternative to gasoline.

Racing should be about technology improvement. No limits.
Want a boring sport? A1GP, identical car..kinda like nascar but looks like a F1.

keep it private ! thats how racing started ! nascar was from the bootleggers running drifting from the guys going down the mountins lets just race!

!!! LEO........ YOU KNOW THAT WHEN IT COMES TO RACING CHEEPER IS BETTER............LOWER COST=.. MORE TEAMS=..MORE CARS OF DIFFERENT MAKES=.. MORE RACES=.. MORE MONEY= ..MORE SPONCERS=..MORE FANS=.. MORE CARS SOLD=..TEAMS THAT CAN AFFORD TO RACE ALL SEASON AND MAKE ENUFF MONEY TO FEED THERE KIDS, AND PAY THERE MORGAG ON TIME !!!.......

I enjoy all forms of racing , however.... the Rolex and Koni type of series are far more interesting. These are cars (mostly) that you see on the street. You can identify with the cars and say "hey..that's my ride or I love that car .  Like the new graphics keep up the good work..

FAntastic Shakedown Leo,  Car guys in garages everywhere mull those SAME questions over everyday.  Personally I think it is about taking it to the people.  People love NASCAR usually when they have actually been to a race and they get sucked up in "the show"  I think USF1 will be a new model in F1 by allowing a little more access to fans than is typical.  Give a guy a stripped out Miata and no power steering and you will see a grin and addiction begin.  Cars are getting heavier and heavier and so the fun of driving less and less.  why doesn't Toyota or Mazda crank out a cheap, ultra light and uber reliable and start a race series that bounces around local tracks.  It would take coordination but with passionate people on board it could happen.... cheaper than F1? should be.  Then you are out proving you are the best.

Colin Edwards & Ben Spies !Team Texas! Thanks for the bike cover, Commercial racing does get old, Save race fuel for the public, oil cooled diesel ,cool stuff Leo!,FLD brings it,

i have no problem with the new graphics and theme song, but the graphics could have the background color a bit darker and could be all a bit more glossy

I think that here in the US someone should start a racing series similar to the Finish one that Top Gear's James May entered in the last season.  In this series there was a price cap on 1,000$ per car, and it was enforced by a policy that if someone wanted to buy your car you had to sell it for 1,000$, this kept people from taking the series way to seriously.  they could easily make other series by just making a higher price point.

I think the distinction should be clear. Big race series with manufacture and corporate sponsors should be all about the tech and less about the driver. Which company wins should be a bigger deal than the driver. I think we should idolize the drivers in the more spec series where everyone is driving the exact same car. It sucks to see someone lose driver points for their team trying out some new tech... I think racing is where a company should showcase their bleeding edge tech. I think the Toyota curs example is perfect. Their hybrid tech is pretty weak on the street and instead of spending time developing and improving next generation technologies they are coping out. BTW I am a strong believer that race tech eventually trickles down to the street. (I am actually starting a site and team and hopefully eventually a company based on this topic www.efficientracing.org. What makes a car fast can also make it more fuel efficient...) 

I do think racing should be "about the show" but more related to the driving than the fire works, pop singers and crashes. It makes me sick that people pay more for tickets next to the corners where people are more likely to crash. (I really can't stand nascar...) I think most nascar fans would have more fun watching demolition derby but it does just does not have the packaging. 

I also think there should be easier entry into the world of racing (cost wise). It seems like most if not all drivers are sons of drivers or team owners or shop owners. I understand as in most sports there doing it from a very young age is very important. I just don't think just because you have been doing it since day one you are going to be great... I haven't done all my research but i think Travis Postrana is a good example of that. I don't think he was racing karts at age 6.

I think there should be an overhaul of racing and it should get back to its roots (grassroots) and rethink the purpose of the different series. And rallying should be a bigger in the US :)

That is my rant for the week.

Lovin' the new theme song.  I love the way the composer deliberately made it sound cheap, low budget and underproduced by distorting the bass lines, and recording at the wrong levels.  Nice job FLD.  The song totally compliments your show.

Racing should certainly go back to its roots; "race on Sunday buy on Monday." I mean this in the sense of manufacturers making cars and good drivers racing those cars. It sounds almost too simple but that's what racing should be. Whats the point of racing a spec car that looks and performs nothing like any of the cars that the manufacturers make for the public. NASCAR is a prime example of how far (in the wrong direction) the racing industry has come. NASCAR was built by retired bootleggers in the south building fast cars to out run the cops. When prohibition ended this turned into a fun race for them to out run each other . Modifying engines for more horsepower is one thing but when the car is no longer street legal, then it shouldn't be racing. Electric cars are the future of racing in my opinion. High torque, no pollution, no transmissions, no oil, and the potential to be more lightweight than gas cars (with the new STAIR lithium batteries) make electric racing an excellent alternative.

at the end of the day non of us are gonna be driving f1 cars so that does not really interest me. i am a regular guy with a family who loves a good race so at the end of the day seeing and F1 car of a Nascar version af a real road car that shares none of the mechanical characteristics of a the car it represents is quite pointless to me. However I could watch crazy rally fans try to dodge dirt/sand slinging rally cars all day. I could watch limited touring car races, because that inspires me to go buy and build a 2 door track car and go racing on weekends. I could watch the 24h of L as well. I just think those other forms of racing are so far out of reach for the average guy with 3 kids and a regular 9-5 that the only people who benifit from those series are the non auto mobile manufactured sponsors like Tide & Viagra. There is no room in those races for the guy with crazy natural racing talent to who can buy and build a car in his garage and enter and qualify and compete. As far as selling cars i would think that is more effective than a Nascar Styled Kia........

Is the shitty new theme song an intern assignment or some kind of joke?

When you said "R Models" I think you ment to say "S models"