BMW’s 2020 7 Series has a slew of new additions for the sixth-generation, including an enlarged kidney grille. Image Credit: BMW via Robb Report (2019)
A Key To Evolutionary Design - Variations On A Theme
Ever wonder what makes an artist a great automotive designer?
It comes down to the discipline one achieves through years of training, experiment, understanding materials, the balance of form & function, the creation of trash bin failures to grand acceptance and market success.
Just ask Art Center College of Design standout graduate, Frank Stephenson, who actually designed for, and penned the rebirth of the MINI Cooper and the first SUV platform produced by the famed German automobile manufacturer, the X5.
Frank Stephenson said in a 2017 interview published at The Drive"I'm flat-out not fond of modern-day cars," he told R&T. "They're going to where ugly cars are the new beautiful. Everybody loves the '50s and '60s in terms of what those cars were like. And we've kind of lost that romance of the design from that period, where the goal was to design a beautiful car, and people would love it at first sight. Nobody had to 'get used to' the design." ... 'nuff said.
Then there's this, from Andres Bastidas ...
So, it's "GET USED TO IT!"
... notes from The EDJE
TAGS:Kidney Bean Grill, BMW, Frank Stephenson, Art Center College of Design, Andres Bastidas, MINI, X5, SUV, Facebook Timeline, The EDJE
The Torque Show Presented By Michelin and additionally hosted by Motor Trend. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks via Screengrab (2019)
Justin Bell & Tommy Kendall Pre-Race #Rolex24 With D. Bell, K. Jennette, And D. Binks - The Torque Show Ep. 3
The actual of this presentation at Motor Trend on YouTube was titled "The Torque Show - 2019 Daytona Rolex 24 - Episode Two" yet, the explainitory text read in the following manner:
Episode 3 brought [brings] the behind the scenes [pre-race] of the #Rolex24 to you.
This posting reflects the original posting on The Torque Facebook Timeline.
DURATION: 43:45
From the VP of Marketing at Michelin, Yahn Heurlin giving insight into their operation, to Derek Bell MBE, a 3x winner of the [#Rolex24] race, talking about the past. Kevin Jeannette and Danny Binks also stopped by to chime in on today's action!
Thanks for watching #TheTorqueShow and be sure to follow The Torque Show on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for shows throughout the IMSA season.
TAGS:The Torque Show, 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona, Motor Trend, pre-race, Justin Bell, Tommy Kendall, Derek Bell, Kevin Jeannette, Dan Binks Corvette Racing, The EDJE
Justin Bell is just getting warmed up talking with fans gathered in the Daytona International Speedway infield. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks via Screengrab (2019)
Infield Evening Fan Walk With Justin Bell & Tommy Kendall - The Torque Show #Rolex24 Special
This presentation was posted on The Torque Show's Facebook Timeline and not on the official Motor Trend YouTube broadcast element page.
The broadcast ended with the battery expiring due to the cold evening temperatures and, further, there was trouble keeping the microphones alive.
DURATION: 13:56
Such are the potholes experienced with a new show pursuing an impromptu broadcast presentation.
Porsche 944 turbo sporting a hood scoop and a four hole vented nose panel. Image Credit: Rennlist
Trio Of Terrific Porsche Turbos On Display
The eighties called and they want their Porsche turbo sports coups back!
Someone shared this little video expose on a Facebook Timeline - and it will bring a bit of joy for those who appreciate and still long to capture a strong sense of the heady eighties.
Nothing never really competed with the presence of the sculpted wheel well bulges found on the Porsche 944 turbo. Especially one with a hood scoop or a four hole vented nose panel.
The interview of Alexander Zarnardi begins at the 8:42 minute mark. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - Screengrab The Torque Show (2019)
Alex Zarnadi Competes In The 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona - The Torque Show Ep. 2
Welcome to episode two of the lead up to the 57th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. #TheTorqueShow episode 2 explores tall tales and touchy subjects with Alex Zanardi and Jimmy Vasser from their indy racing days! You can get the whole truth behind "The Pass" at Laguna Seca.
DURATION: 1:26:26
The WeatherTech Girls drop in and take over the show, from Justin and Tommy. Finally, competing for the Cadillac DP Wayne Taylor Racing team, we have Jordan Taylor and Rodney Sandstorm 2.0 (AKA Fernando Alonso) on camera together for the first time!
You won't want to miss this. #Rolex24. #Michelin #MichelinIMSA
The race will be shown on NBCSN - broadcast on Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. ET. or catch the realtime Timing & Scoring at https://scoring.imsa.com/
TAGS: The Torque Show, Motor Trend, 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona, 50th IMSA Season, Tommy Kendall, Justin Bell, Alex Zanardi, , BMW GTLM #24, WeatherTech Girls, The EDJE
The Torque Show live broadcast via streaming at Motor Trend and The Torque Show Facebook page was announced at The Petersen Automobile Museum in Los Angeles. The announcement included a meet and greet with the show hosts Justin Bell, Tommy Kendall, and Mazda Prototype driver Jonathan Bomarito. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2019)
Rolex 24hr. At Daytona Begins - Ep. 1 - The Torque Show
This year will mark the 50th Anniversary season for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) . The season begins with the 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Florida.
Cobbled along with this grand beginning of a new season will be the intorduction of a new video show production titled The Torque Show (not "The Talk Show" as it kinda' sounds when Justin Bell, with his British accent, announces it) featuring former drivers turned broadcast talkshow and on-track race commentary stars, Justin Bell and Tommy Kendall. Before traveling to cover the events happening in the paddock at Daytona, Justin and Tommy, joined by Mazda Ladder standout driver and previous (2010) Rolex 24 At Daytona class winner Jonathan Bomarito, held a meet and greet announcement at the Petersen Automobile Museum Thurs. Jan. 17th, 2019..
In the tuning sessions most of the teams participate in before holding the Rolex 24 At Daytona - Roar Before the Rolex 24 - Jonathan ended Saturday, Jan. 5th, 2019, atop the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship time charts by the slimmest of margins, posting a best lap of 1 minute, 34.533 seconds in the No. 55 Mazda Team Joest RT24-P Daytona Prototype international (DPi). Bomarito’s time, which came under the bright lights of the 3.56-mile circuit Saturday night, was just one-thousandth of a second quicker than Renger van der Zande’s lap of 1:34.534 in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R from the afternoon session.
Both laps were well under the current WeatherTech Championship track record of 1:36.083 set last year in Rolex 24 qualifying by van der Zande. (ht: IMSA Wire Service)
This excerpted and edited from The Torque Show - Where Winners Hang Before there were lifestyle bloggers, there were real lifestyles lived by real people. Of all the lifestyles lived, none perhaps was richer than the pinnacle of professional sports car racing: brave drivers, exotic machinery, danger, beautiful women, money, and drama. This is not hyperbole. Everyone wanted to be a rock star, the rock stars wanted to be movie stars and the biggest movie stars want to be race car drivers; Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Patrick Dempsey, to name a few. Nothing compared to real heroes testing themselves against their own fears, their competitors and fate, driving real fire-breathing experimental race cars, putting real lives on the line, immersed in the sexiest, most glamorous world you could imagine. That was IMSA then and that is IMSA today as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
In IMSA, like every other gathering, there is the one group that is having the most fun, the fun table, so to speak. It’s where the larger than life personalities gravitate to and with them everyone’s eyes and attention. It’s where the best stories are told, the most laughter is heard, and the best times are had. Back in the day, it was perhaps Gianpiero Moretti’s transporter where he made his signature pasta for the titans of industry and the assortment of interesting, smart and beautiful people that congregated there. Today, in the IMSA paddock, it is with Justin Bell and Tommy Kendall on The Torque Show set. Nothing against lifestyle bloggers, but they capture a lifestyle in one or two dimensions and usually just a veneer that represents the lifestyle. The Torque Show is going to bring this world in all of its three dimensional richness to fans around the world. It is where everyone will naturally gather to hear their heroes share stories of the big wins, wild moments, heartbreaks, and some of the stuff not fit for television. We will break down the action, take part in some good-natured ribbing, mediate some disputes, and do a little bit of celebrating too. Coming to an IMSA race near you. Will you join us?
DURATION: 52:32
Beyond The Torque Show, found live at Motor Trend and posted to Youtube, the television schedule for the IMSA Prototype Challenge was announced earlier Saturday. As part of IMSA’s new agreement with the NBC Sports Group, all IMSA Prototype Challenge races will be shown on NBCSN throughout the season beginning with the Daytona broadcast on Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. ET. or catch the realtime Timing & Scoring at https://scoring.imsa.com/
... notes from The EDJE
TAGS:The Torque Show, Motor Trend, 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona, 50th IMSA Season, Tommy Kendall, Justin Bell, Jonathan Bomarito, Mazda Prototype, Track Record, The EDJE
Title plate for the live stream channel for the North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show). IndyCar announces 2019 Title Sponsor for the racing series. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks via screen grab (2019)
NTT Announced As Title Sponsor Of America's Premiere Racing Series - IndyCar
Yesterday, via live streaming, the IndyCar open-wheel racing series announced the addition of NTT Data as it's title sponsor for the 2019 season. Welcome to the NTT IndyCar Series.
The presentation was a little tardy, by about 10 minutes, but was worth the wait. The group of people gathered on the stage to usher in the the new sponsor was quite impressive - corporate executives, team owners, engine manufactures, drivers ... about the only moving part not represented was the chassis manufacture, Dallara.
Gathering of open-wheelers - (l to r) Scott Dixon, Jay Frye, Mark Miles, Tony Kanaan, Tsunehisa Okuno, Bobby Rahal, Chip Ganassi, Art St. Cyr, and Jim Campbell. Image Credit: Chris Owens - IndyCar (2019)
This excerpted and edited from IndyCar - a compilation of two articles
INDYCAR Names NTT As Entitlement Sponsor Of IndyCar Series | Addition Of NTT As Title Sponsor Users In New Era For IndyCar Series INDYCAR announced today during the North American International Auto Show that global information technology and communications leader NTT has signed a multiyear agreement to become the IndyCar Series title partner. In addition, NTT becomes the official technology partner of INDYCAR, the IndyCar Series, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Brickyard 400 beginning in 2019. INDYCAR will partner with NTT to deliver digital innovations that enhance the fan experience. These innovations include the evolution of INDYCAR's mobile application and adoption of NTT's proprietary Smart Platform to support the sport and its venues in delivering better insights into the racing series.
NTT IndyCar Series logo with backdrop, good for use as video title page. Image Credit: IndyCar (2019)
In what was described as a “red-letter day” by Mark Miles, president and CEO of Human & Company, owner of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, global giant NTT was introduced Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show as the series’ new title partner in a multiyear agreement. “I think this relationship is perfect,” Miles said. “We are a global brand, and when I think about racing, I think we're international, so you think about the team owners, you think about drivers from all over the world. I'm sure that was part of how NTT saw us, but we see them as a giant technology and communications company. When I think about the future growth of INDYCAR, what's more important than developing technology? It drives our racing, our teams. Everybody in the paddock needs data in usable form to improve. “We take 50 million data records off the cars in an average two-hour race. To me, that's content. With NTT, we can make that usable and compelling content for fans that will continue to grow the sport and attract younger fans.” NTT, with headquarters in Tokyo, grosses nearly $110 billion annually and spends $4 billion each year on research and development. The company will also be the official technology partner of INDYCAR, the NTT IndyCar Series, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Brickyard 400. NTT DATA has been a visible car sponsor and team partner in recent years with Chip Ganassi Racing, including Scott Dixon’s 2017 triumph at Road America. Dixon, a five-time series champion, as well as 2004 champion and 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, joined Miles on the Cobo Center Atrium Stage. Tsunehisa Okuno, NTT executive vice president, head of global business, excitedly expressed the hope that this partnership would last forever. “The Indy car racing is getting more popular also in the Japan market, mainly thanks to the Japanese driver, Takuma Sato, who won the championship two years ago, the Indy 500,” Okuno said. “There was a special TV program in Japan, and I clearly remember during the program Mr. Sato, impressed us by saying that he saw something very special, very different after he became the champion of Indy 500. “So I personally expect to see something very different through the cooperation with INDYCAR and the other partners, and NTT would like to bring something very exciting to the INDYCAR fans.” INDYCAR President Jay Frye was also on hand with team owners Chip Ganassi and Bobby Rahal, as well as representatives from INDYCAR’s engine manufacturers, Jim Campbell, General Motors’ U.S. vice president, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, and Art St. Cyr, Honda Performance Development president. Frye and Mark Sibla, INDYCAR’s chief of staff, initiated talks with NTT to start the process in September. Progress culminated with a November trip to Tokyo to close the deal. “This is something that affects the entire paddock from the broadcast partners to the promoters to the teams,” Frye said. “We couldn't be more proud to partner with a global brand like NTT. I want to send a big thanks to them for all their hard work.”
NTT IndyCar Series logo revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Image Credit: IndyCar (2019)
"NTT is proud to be associated with INDYCAR and accelerate the future of smart racing. Technological innovations have the potential to change the sport and fan experience drastically," said Jun Sawada, president and CEO of NTT. "NTT, along with our partners, aims to bring the Smart World to life as we have done for Smart City, Smart Entertainment, Smart Mobility and Smart Manufacturing. Based on our lengthy and successful experience, including work in mobile applications, analytics and user experience, we will help INDYCAR create the next generation of fans globally who aspire to enjoy racing through a more digital experience." NTT replaces Verizon, which Miles has continually praised as a title sponsor for helping grow the series for the past five years [no time assigned to the multi-year NTT agreement]. “I think it was important that NTT DATA had this history with INDYCAR, which will mean that we hit the ground running,” Miles said. “We're in seventh gear already.” Dixon, the reigning series champion, sees an ideal fit. “With how the two companies are going to work together, I think it's going to be fantastic for branding, pushing it,” said Dixon. “We have the greatest racing in the world, and we're going to be able to push it together. But it's the perfect marriage, and looking forward to the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series to kick off.” The NTT IndyCar Series offers what is regarded by experts as the fastest, most diverse and challenging racing program in motorsports. The series competes on permanent road courses, temporary street circuits, short ovals and superspeedway ovals, including the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Having a strong technology partner is critically important to INDYCAR's continued growth, so we are thrilled to welcome NTT as our new title sponsor. INDYCAR's rise in popularity is a testament to the fact that we've made the sport as accessible as possible to our fans and we plan to continue in that mission," additionally states Mark Miles. "We have a history with NTT through NTT DATA's involvement in the sport with Chip Ganassi Racing. We know this partnership will help us attract the next generation of fans to what remains the most competitive racing program on the planet." The 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season consists of 17 races, starting with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 10, including the 103rd Indianapolis 500 on May 26 and concluding with the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey on Sept. 22. [Reference Here]
The next big opportunity to see the IndyCars sporting the title sponsor series logo, here on the West coast, will be the one-day test at the venue that will act as the season finale, and hasn't had these open-wheel cars on these turns and on the Corkscrew since 2004 - WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Friday, Frbruary 8th, 2019.
TAGS: NTT, IndyCar, NTT IndyCar Series, Jun Sawada, Mark Miles, Jay Frye, Mark Sibla, Chip Ganassi, Bobby Rahal, Jim Campbell, Art St. Cyr, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Takuma Sato, Tsunehisa Okuno, The EDJE
