Its Electric...

Formula Racing has been making huge, and I mean huge strives lately. The most recent brings the popular foreign form of racing to American soil and rebirthing the United States Grand Prix set to debut in Austin, Texas on November 18th. The league has also looked to plant seeds in other major cities like San Francisco as early as 2013, but recently scrapped a plan to hold races in New Jersey in 2014. Now, Spanish businessman and owner of the 2008 team championship winning Barwa Addax GP2 Series Team Alejandro Agag is looking to turn the racing world upside down.

Agag's lastest innovation will be titled the Formula E Championship. It not only creates a competitor for the well-known Ecclestone's Formula One racing, but starts what many view as the future of motorsports. The "E" stands for electric, meaning all vehicles will have the much debated electrical engines instead of the standard combustion ones. The races will be an hour long, consisting of three segments, and battery life limits will mean drivers change cars during two planned pit stops. Drivers will drive at low-decibels through city centers around the planet instead of the world's famed circuits in Formula One.

A league consisting of fully equipped electrical cars seems like wishful thinking to most, but the London based Formula E Holding ownership group, headed by Agag and his billionaire business partner Enrique Banuelos, have already received approval and commercial licensing from the International Automobile Federation (FIA). It has entertained interest from sport's top sponsors, drivers, and owners. The opening season for Formula E racing with ten racing teams could come as early as 2014. The field will expand to fourteen in 2015. The problem is no one has officially bought in yet. FEH has negotiated with 30 perspective groups. The most notable, however, is the McLaren Group, who already owns a Formula One racing team valued by Forbes at $800 million.

It makes logical sense for automative groups to get involved with Formula E racing for the low initial cost and use of Formula E's research and development in their future consumer vehicles. By hosting races on city streets, similar to those in Formula One, Formula E will become the testing grounds for advances and further emphasize its association with the future of clean-energy road cars. Agag also argues, "“it’s an opportunity for companies to put their money where their mouth is” when it comes to improving the environment and advancing towards affordable, renewable energy sources.

Is Agag's endeavor the future of the automative world? If the all goes as planned and 2014 is the start Formula E racing, that question will surely be entered.

Return To Sender?

Toyota Motor Co. recently announced the world's largest recall in the past sixteen years after recalling a total of 7.43 million vehicles worldwide due to the potential risk of fire.

This the largest safety-related action imposed by Toyota since 2009 when it began a series of recalls lasting until 2011 due to the risk of unintended acceleration, risky floor mats, and a number of safety issues. The automaker recalled a total of 14 million vehicles. Additionally, it is also the largest single recall since 1996 when Ford Motor Co. recalled 7.9 million vehicles because a faulty ignition module. The vehicles included in this year's recall focus on hundreds of thousands of 2007-2009 Camry and Rav-4 models. Since some of the vehicles were sold under the Toyota produced Scion brand as well, other models include the xD and xA, some of the brands most popular and recent vehicles.

The affected Toyota vehicles have a potentially defective power window switch on the driver's side. In regards to the problem, a Toyota spokesperson says drivers "may experience a 'notchy' or sticky feel during operation. If commercially available lubricants are applied to the switch in an attempt to address the 'notchy' or sticky feel, melting of the switch assembly or smoke could occur and lead to a fire under some circumstances."

Prior to this recent recall, Toyota recalled several vehicles in February due to the same switch after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it will would investigate the issue. The NHTSA has received 200 issues in regards to the defective switch including fires, but no crashes or injuries. The recall puts an unwanted spotlight on the Toyota company. Along with Honda, the automaker is now in the race to lead the recall list in 2012. To check if your Toyota or Scion is involved in the recall, vist Toyota's recall page.

De El Camino...

One of my top 2 favorite vehicles of all time is the Chevrolet El Camino. My grandfather introduced it to me when I was 8 years old, but on this day in 1958, the vehicle was introduced and sold to the world by Chevrolet. The El Camino ads displayed the slogan "the most beautiful thing that ever shouldered a load!" and rightfully so since the vehicle was a combination of a sedan pick-up truck built on an Impala body and featured cat-eye taillights and "dramatic" rear fins. However, it wasn't the first of its kind. It was inspired by the Ford Ranchero, not the first "car-truck" ever but the first on American soil. Ever since the 30s, Australian farmers drove around "utes" in its outback. Legend has it that a farmer's wife from Victoria wrote Ford Austrialia and asked the company to build a vehicle that combined a car and a truck that "carried her to church on Sunday and her husband's pigs to the market on Saturday". Thus, a low slung sedan based vehicle with a rough and tumble pickup back was designed and created by Ford engineer Lewis Brandt. The "utes" were a huge success overseas, but not so much in America. In fact, the Ford Ranchero, which had been on the market two years prior to the El Camino, was a steady, decent seller while the first manifestation of the El Camino was discontinued two years later. It wasn't until Chevrolet introduced a newer version in 1964 when the model and "utes" made a slight impact on the American automobile industry. However, with a built in, more powerful SS engine, the 1968 El Camino would make the vehicles one of the most iconic in the late 60s and early 70s. The El Camino was discontinued in 1987, but almost reincarnated by several companies such as Pontiac and GM. But in current times, the El Camino remains an American muscle classic.

Its A Bird, Its A Plane, No... Its A SuperCar?

The highlight of the automobile industry this past weekend was the 2012 Paris Motor Show, one of the most significant auto shows in the world. Established in 1898 by industry pioneer Albert de Dion, the biennial Paris Motor show held around October has been known for displaying new automobile production and debuting new car concepts. With the event scheduled to last until October 14th, top tier automaker such as Ferrari, Bugatti, Maserati, Bentley, Lamborghini, and more are expected to display their finest and newest innovations. But automaker McLaren's first ever auto show appearance has already left attendees in a state of awe after debuting the world's new supercar, the McLaren P1.

The creators at the McLaren company are striving to turn this "97 percent final" design exercise into the world's most superlative automobile on the road and the track. According to some experts, it might be the world's fatest accelerating vehicle money will be able to buy. As the sucessor to McLaren's legendary F1 supercar, the McLaren makers initially designed the P1 to prioritize aerodynamic performance spending many hours in a wind tunnel and using computational fluid dynamics aerodynamic modeling, just like vehicles in Formula 1 racing. McLaren boasts the P1 develops in excess of 1,320 pounds of downforce before reaching top speed and claims its frontal area is smaller than any other supercar on the market. McLaren makers also promise sub-three second 0-62 mph sprints. However, the source of power for the light P1 remains a mystery. Many assume included in the design's features would be a 3.8-Liter twin turbo V-8 engine with a higher-performance spec and tune. With an additional KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) energy storage and power boost, the results could be up to 800 horsepower or more. The P1 also features a drag reduction system to reduce downforce and increase straight line speed as well as a large rear wing that boost downforce and optimizes aerodynamics. Did I mention the sexy orange and black exterior painting that covers the new MonoCage structure that consists of carbon fiber monocoque and roof structure? My Lord.

The car is expected to go on sale around the company's anniversary 50th anniversary next year for the price of between 700,000 and 800,000 pounds, about $1.1-1.2 million in US money. Have fun picking up your jaw or adjusting your facial expressions after viewing images of the McLaren P1 above and below.