Cars and Coffee Second Running - May 7th

After a successful first NDB Cars and Coffee (see link below) with five cars, the second of our planned monthly get togethers is planned for May 7th in Weston Center at 8am. Please email or comment if you would like to join.

Video from NDB 1...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2hoqFsZI-Q

Some Predicitions...

The 2011 Formula 1 season gets underway this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix. This is against a backdrop of the F1 powers-that-be warning that Australia may be dropped in the future from the calendar, and interesting news that commercial head of F1 is in NYC this weekend meeting with Mayor Bloomberg about a Grand Prix on Staten Island. I am happy to leave the politics and wheeling and dealing to others and focus on the racing. Here's my 2011 predictions:

• Fernando Alonso will win the World Championship
• Red Bull will win the Constructors Championship
• Vettel, Webber, Hamilton and Massa will score wins
• Schumacher, Rosberg, Heidfeld, Button and Barichello will appear more than once on the podium

Enjoy what promises to be a fascinating season!

The Best of All Worlds...

I recently got rid of my 1992 Mercedes 300E after a year of service. Although it was a solid performer, I just wasn't smitten. It was underpowered and didn't get my juices flowing. So, after getting a decent offer on it, I jumped and sold it.

I have to say that the replacement for the big Merc' is at the opposite end of the 4-door spectrum. I purchased a 2011 Civic Si. I went from 6 cylinders to four, rear to front wheel drive, leather to cloth, German to Japanese, stolid to sporty, full-size to compact.

I think the Civic Si is the best performance bargain going. For a price of less than $22,000 (after some negotiation), you get a car that will carry a family of four comfortably, provide years of reliable service and be able to rev to 8,000 glorious RPM. This is my first Honda with a VTEC engine and it is awesome. It has a real Jeckyll and Hyde character - below 6,000 is a docile econo-car, but above 6,000 it shows its teeth. So far after six months of ownership a couple of family trips and daily commutes, I have no regrets...oh, and air conditioning works, which is a nice change from the Mercedes.

N.D.B. Cars and Coffee

A group of local Boston-area car nuts are working to organize a regular get-together for folks to talk cars and go for a "spirited" drive. I am sure the group will lean towards European sports cars from the '80, '90s and '00s, but all are welcome. The first meet-up is scheduled for April 16, 2011 in Weston with a route planned through the Weston, Concord, Acton, Subury area...so mark you calendars and tell your friends! Here are the details:

• What: An informal get together for car talk, coffee and a spirited drive


• When: Saturday, April 16, 8am meet-up, 8:30am departure


• Who: Everyone welcome as long as you are passionate about cars. All cars welcome. Just one rule: NDB - that means no Fast and Furious crowd.


• Where: Intersection of Boston Post Road and Townhouse Road in Weston Center (2 miles from Route 128 exit 26).


• Route: A 30-40 mile loop between the 128 and 495 belts starting and ending in Weston Center. Maps and directions to be provided.

Back in the Saddle

After a year off, I am going to try to revive this blog. Stay tuned!

Crumple Zone indeed...

It's been a while, but it's time to post my first entry of 2010. Given that the World Rally Championship began last week and Formula 1 is starting in a few weeks, you can expect some frequent posts.

Anyway, I am not sure how I came across these, but the two videos below show just how far we've come in automotive safety. The first shows a crash between 2009 and 1959 Chevrolets. The difference is astonishing...needless to say the 1959 driver won't be walking away from this one.



The next one is an early-80s VW transporter fully loaded at about 50 mph. The engine in these is in the rear, so there's not much to stop the momentum. Not only will this driver not be walking away, I am not sure they'll be able to find him.

Why you should care about Michael Schumacher...

He is often compared to Tiger Woods for his domination of his sport, but Schumi's list of acheivements is much more comprehensive (although his list of mistresses probably isn't). Thanks to ITV.co.uk, here is a comprehensive list of the Formula One records held by Schumacher:
* Most world titles: 7 (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
* Most consecutive titles: 5 (2000-04)
* Most grand prix wins: 91
* Most wins in a single season: 13 (2004)
* Most consecutive wins in a single season: 7 (2004)
* Most wins at the same race: 8 (French GP)
* Most wins with one team: 72 (Ferrari)
* Most wins from pole: 40
* Most pole positions: 68
* Most front-row starts: 115
* Most podium finishes: 154
* Most second place finishes: 43
* Most points finishes: 190
* Most points scored: 1,369
* Most points in a single season: 148 (from a maximum of 180, in 2004)
* Most fastest laps: 76
* Most fastest laps in a season: 10 (from a maximum of 18, in 2004)
* Most races led: 141
* Most laps led: 5,108
* Furthest distance led in a season: 2,085 miles (2004)
* Fastest race-winning average speed: 153.843mph (2003 Italian GP)
* Most consecutive podiums: 19 (USA 2001 to Japan 2002)
* Most consecutive points finishes: 24 (Hungary 2001 to Malaysia 2003)
* Most consecutive seasons with a win: 15 (1992-2006)
* Most consecutive wins from pole (6)
* Most ‘clean sweeps’ (pole, win, fastest lap): 22
* Largest points gap between champion and runner-up: 67 (2002)
* Earliest title winner: 2002 (in July, with 6 of the 17 races remaining)
* Longest continuous spell with one team: 11 seasons (Ferrari, 1996-2006)
* Most races with same team: 162 (Ferrari)
* Most time between first and last race wins: 14 years, 1 month and 1 day
* Never outqualified by his team-mate in 1992, 1993 or 1994
* Only driver to have finished every race on the podium: 2002
* Won all his ‘landmark’ GPs, winning on his 50th, 100th, 150th and 200th GP starts
* Only events he failed to win were South African, Mexican and Turkish GPs
* His record of 91 GP wins is only one shy of the combined total of the next two most winning drivers, Alain Prost (51) and Ayrton Senna (41)
* Scored points in a remarkable 76.6% of all his GP starts
* Led 56.9% of all GPs he started
* Banned or disqualified from more races than anyone else (banned from two races and disqualified from another in 1994; excluded from 1997 world championship results for collision with Jacques Villeneuve)

He's back, baby!

It's official - Michael Schumacher will be back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car next year. After five world championships with Ferrari and two with Benneton, he will bring his prodigious talents to the all-German uber-squad Mercedes-Benz. Let's see if the forty-year-old has still got it. My money is on yes.

Mystery Car of the Week

Here's an easy one. To make it a bit more interesting, name the car, the race and the year. Good luck!

Because I can...

That's why I am posting this picture of the Lancia Stratos. Perhaps one of the coolest cars ever.

Schumacher Watch Continues

Rumors continue to circulate about Michael Schumacher's return to Formula 1 next year behind the wheel of a Mercedes. His old boss, Luca di Montezemolo at Ferrari said there is a "very, very, very strong" possibility that he will be back. Count 'em...that's not one very, but three. From what I hear, the only outstanding issue now is his fitness and the state of his neck injury that kept him out of the Ferrari earlier this year.

A Schumacher return would be a great thing for F1. Plus the Mercedes merchandise department must be salivating at the prospect of all the Schumacher Mercedes hats, shirts, flags, etc. that it will sell. I have to admit, I'll be near the front of the queue.

The Changing Face of F1

Even with all the controversy, the fans have been treated to some pretty exciting racing over the last couple of years. 2010 should be no different.

We'll see three new teams and a couple reworked teams. With the addition of new teams we'll also see a bunch of new drivers to fill those extra slots...so it looks like even marginal current drivers should snag a seat for next year.

Mercedes notwithstanding, for the most part the manufacturer era is over in Formula 1. Honda pulled out last year. Toyota and BMW have pulled out this year and it appears Renault is on the brink of selling its team (but perhaps keeping the Renault name on the car). It remains to be seen whether this will be good for the sport. I tend to think it will if the privateer teams can secure strong sponsorship.

2010 will see the end of refueling, so cars will be much heavier meaning that drivers have to manage very changeable cars over the length of a Grand Prix. This should really put a premium on driver adaptability.

Last and certainly not least, there is the rumored return of one Michael Schumacher. Remember, him? I thought your would. More on that soon...

New Addition to the Family...

We are proud to announce the recent addition of a 1992 Mercedes 300E to the "Scuderia Bellanger." The 300E joins the 2008 Passat, 2002 Astro, 1990 2CV and 1981 Golf GTI. The 300E will replace the Astro as my daily driver (thank God). Given the recent sale of my Aprilia scooter, this addition does not increase the number of wheeled conveyances in the Bellanger household (at least that's how I justified it to my wife).

Although I am not a Mercedes guy, the W124 300E is one of the last great Mercedes built in the pre-Lexus days. (After Lexus launched, Mercedes cut build quality in order to compete on cost with the Japanese.) The W124 is completely over-engineered and over-built. Hopefully it will deliver me years of reliable service.

OktoberFAST

I had the pleasure of attending the Green Mountain Chapter of the BMW Club's OktoberFast event last weekend in Stowe, Vermont. This was a gathering for all German makes and after a one-year hiatus, the organizers were trying to get the event back on its feet. Although attendance wasn't great, there was a terrific atmosphere and I have the sense that this event will build momentum over the next couple of years. It was also a great chance to drive some of Vermont's great twisty roads at a beautiful time of year. Add to that the fact that my co-attendee and camping partner Brian and I scored some great hardware - Best Original Condition and Best In Show for Brian and his 1989 BMW 325iX and Best VW for me and the GTI - and you have an all-around great weekend.

Dabu Habi, I mean Abu Dhabi

Formula 1 will visit the brand new facility at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi for the last race of the 2009 season. James Allen just posted some great video on his blog of the first Formula 1-style car being driven around the circuit. Looks like a good layout - add to that the fact that this will be a twilight race (starting in the light, finishing in the dark) and it should be pretty spectacular. See the video below...enjoy!

Out of Reach...

Here is my personal list of some of the coolest new cars not available for US sale...rather than focus on supercars or exotics, of which there are many, I've stuck to cars that can be considered everyday transport. For space reasons, I will limit it to five cars, but feel free to add your faves in the comments.

First up is the Citroen C5 Wagon. As mentioned in a post below, I think this has to the best looking wagon on the planet. Definitely a stylish way to haul the kids and their gear.

Next in line is the Citroen C3 Picasso. The Europeans, and particularly the French, do tall one-box designs well. This is compact car with tons of space inside and lots of cool design features.

Although we get the four-door Si version, we no longer get the Honda Civic three-Door Type S. At this heart of this polarizing design is a high-revving Honda engine.

We've been denied the new VW Scirocco. Although this is really a squashed GTI, it is a damn-cool car. Bring it over VW!

Along with the Citroen, here's one from a brand not even sold in the US - the Seat Leon Cupra. The Leon is a cool design - given the Cupra treatment it also hauls. It sports a VW-based 2 litre turbo and hits 62mph in 6.4 seconds.

Back to the Scene of the Crime

Formula One makes its way back to Singapore this weekend - the scene of the all-consuming "Crashgate" scandal (see post below for more detail). It should be an exciting weekend...as every race clicks down the mathematical possibility for anyone other than Jenson Button to win the championship diminishes. My prediction for the weekend is a win by Mark Webber with Button, Rubens Barichello and Vettel all mixing it up for points. My wish for the weekend is that Fisi scores some points for Ferrari, but this looks unlikely.

Bye, Bye Flav...

Renault has fired Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds over allegations that they conspired to deliberately cause their driver Nelsinho Piquet to crash in last year's Singapore GP, thus setting up their other driver to win the race. This is a bad, bad day for F1. Cheating on technical issues (e.g., design, software, etc.) is one thing, putting people's lives at risks is another.

After 20 years in the sport and four world championships Flav and Pat are now leaving in disgrace. I guess Flav will have to console himself on his mega-yacht with is supermodel girlfriend. Good riddance.

Funny F1 Video...

Two world champs having fun with a very serious subject...

Put Fisi in the Ferrari

The musical chairs continue at Ferrari in the wake of Massa's accident. First it was supposed to be Schumacher, but his neck injury precluded him from racing. Currently they are running their test driver Luca Badoer, who just isn't cutting the mustard and will likely be taken out of the car after the race in Belgium this weekend. Rumors are swirling that they will put Giancarlo Fisichella in the car. I love Fisi...he is nice guy who loves racing and is passionate about Ferrari. The guy has had a long F1 career and driven for half a dozen different teams, but never had a chance to drive for his "national" team. For him, driving a Ferrari would be like someone who grew up in Boston getting the chance to pitch for the Red Sox. Here's what he had to say:

“For sure, it’s a dream for all the drivers,” Fisichella said. “Especially for me, as an Italian driver, let’s say at the end of my career, so it’s a very good opportunity. It would be nice. I have 220 grands prix so far, it would be very good pressure for me. It’s not a big problem, it would be a very good opportunity but so far I can’t say anymore.”