That's the front page of the Beijing News, yesterday.
Beijing will trial an incredible traffic-straddling bus system in 2011. Traffic in Beijing is a nightmare but the roads are clogged with too many busses, rather than private vehicles like many modern western cities. Solution? Design the busses to ride over the traffic. Pretty frikkin ingenious, we reckon. There’s even a video. It must be real.
The Ferrari team-orders semi-scandal that’s currently generating the usual off-circuit F1 drama has all but ended: the team has just been given a date for the FIA hearing concerning the incident. The hearing will fall four days before the Italian Grand Prix at the almost religious Monza circuit, meaning Alonso and Massa could face some sort of penalty before the team’s home race. Or, Ferrari will just get a massive fine. We’re betting on the latter.
Is the Lancia Stratos coming back? In case cars are pretty much toasters with wheels in your world, the Lancia Stratos is one of the most iconic, legendary, bat-shit crazy motor vehicles ever conceived. Providing barely enough space for two adults, the driver sat at an awfully awkward angle, and it was notoriously tricky to drive. But, it weighed less than a dustpan and went like stink so nobody cared and everybody loved it. It also won three World Rally championships in a row. Here’s a picture of an original Stratos going sideways, and here’s the story, including spy-pics of what is presumed to be the reincarnation. See what I did there.
Toyota is pretty desperate to shake off the recent “unintended acceleration” PR nightmare, which to be honest looked like a big scam from day one. Regardless, in a bid to become a manufacturer that is seen as a little bit more exciting, they’ve been working on a small, fun, rear-wheel drive car, something which they used to be really good at producing. It’s called the FT-86 in car-nerd circles, but will probably get a racier name come launch time. Which might be next year, or 2013. Get on with it lads. We’re waiting.
Ciro De Siena
