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What a tiring past few weeks I’ve had making some huge changes to all of my sites across the board. My Monetize Zone blog got a face lift, Informant Zone was moved to this new domain and got a face life as well, and I rebuilt Informant Zone into a new type of blog directory that I hope to achieve some large goals with. Namely one of them being to help out beginner bloggers.

I am excited about the fresh new look of Automotive Zen. The premium theme was purchased by a fabulous company named WPZOOM. I highly recommend their themes. Their customer support is fantastic as well if you are experiencing some issues. Not only that, but if you are looking for a premium theme which is easily modifiable, WPZOOM themes give you breathing room to work with. You’ll notice that Automotive Zen is not just the stock Zenko theme as shown on their site. I did make my own changes to suit my tastes.

I really want this magazine site to take off and become the premier place for automotive and motorsports knowledge. The advantage that I have over the other large automotive sites out there is the fact that this is a blog and not just a static site. Because of that, I can instill a sense of community and interaction more over the other sites out there. And that is exactly what I want this to be – a community for enthusiasts. I could very well end up adding a forum in the future if the demand becomes large enough.

For now though, I will just focus on providing you with informative written article by myself that will keep you entertained while drinking a cup of coffee or taking a time out.

I am welcoming guest writers as well. You may contact me through the contact form here. I will work as best as I can with you in compensation for your efforts of writing an article on this site.

Likely the most impressive road going machine that Aston Martin has ever produced, the One-77 is deliberate and by deliberate I mean that everything that has been engineered on the car has one purpose – that purpose is thoroughbred performance. One-77 designers had no boundaries in mind during the design phase of this masterpiece. They’ve pulled out all of the stops to make this one of the most incredible cars that the world has ever seen. Make no mistake about it. The Aston Martin One-77 will pin you to the back of your seat and keep you there all while looking like a work of art worthy of being displayed in the Louvre.

This ultra low front mid-mounted Cosworth 7.3L naturally aspirated V12 monster produces a huge 700 bhp and 553 lb-ft of torque. Literally, the V12 block sits almost half way into the front of the cockpit and manages to sport a dry sump lubrication system as well. Not to mention that due to the low production run (77 only) of this exclusive Aston, the entire engine is billet aluminum. Every piece is machined individually and not cast.  Attached to the mammoth power plant is a rear mounted 6 speed automated manual transmission with an Auto Shift Manual/Select Shift Manual (ASM/SSM) electro-hydraulic control system.

The body is an absolute work of art with its large front air dam’s, huge side fins and aggressive rear diffusers. The body panels are all hand crafted and shaped aluminum sheet metal. Fabricators at the Aston Martin production plant shape each panel with an English Wheel and weld them all together by hand. The inner body and chassis structure is a carbon fiber monocoque. The rear of the One-77 has a manually deployable spoiler as well.

In the suspension department you are looking at a front and rear, pushrod actuated, adaptive ride height setup supporting the relatively light 1500kg supercar. Carbon ceramic Matrix brakes provide the neck snapping deceleration you’d expect from a ride like this.

Performance wise the Aston Martin One-77 truly delivers. 0-60 time is 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 220.007 mph (354.067 km/h). Keeping this bullet glued to the ground are Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires that are 255/35ZR20 in the front and 335/30ZR20 in the rear. With specs like these you know for sure that this car won’t come cheap and you’re right. Expect to spend $1,700,00 on it!

Set to go on sale in April of 2010, the 2011 BMW 1 Series will be presented to us with quite a different spec sheet than compared to that of 2010. Honestly, I don’t think I can even remember the last time such drastic changes we made to a mid-production car in the BMW lineup. The base prices will not change from those of 2010 either with the 128i coupe and convertible costing $30,025 and $35,075 respectively, and the 135i coupe and convertible starting at $36,925 and $41,225.

Among those changes and the largest in my opinion is a new motor. Yes, the older twin turbo 3.0L inline six N54 is being replaced by the newer and more production cost friendly N55 – a single turbo 3.0L inline six also used in the 2011 335i and the X6 xDrive35i. Do not worry though as the N55 will still deliver the same 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque we’ve come to love. Although no official numbers have been released by BMW, they claim that the latest single turbo 3.0L I6 will offer better fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

Attached to the motor change is also a transmission change. One that will see an improvement in both the coupe and convertible’s performance specs. They will be trading their six speed automatics for BMW’s newest seven speed dual-clutch DCT automated manual transmission. This will add an extra $200 to the price tag (over the $1375 of the automatic) but hey, you are promised greater performance. We aren’t sure how much of a difference this will make in terms of acceleration since nothing has been officially said yet.

Interior Make Over

Get ready for a new interior as well. One laced with leather! No, you will not need to spend money hand over fist to get this over the previous “Pleather”. The good news is that this option can be had at no additional cost. When was the last time you heard that from BMW? This option will also include iPod integration.

In BMW’s suspected efforts to clear the inventory path for their 2012 1 Series debut, they’ve bundled together a bunch of standalone options into what they call the Convenience Package. For the 128i coupe/convertible clients this includes keyless entry and ignition, xenon headlights, alarm system and rear parking sensors all for a $500 discounted sum of $1650. 135i coupe/convertible clients have access to the same package without the xenon’s since those already come standard for them for a $250 discounted even $1000. You will also be seeing a heated steering wheel added to both models for the Cold Weather Package which costs $750 and the previously unbranded Hi-Fi stereo system will be replaced with a premium Harman/Kardon setup for $875.

Michael Schumacher Formula One Testing Valencia Spain 2010

Felipe Massa proved that he still hadn’t lost his edge after last season’s life threatening accident.  He posted the top time for all of the drivers in the new Ferrari F10 while completing 102 laps during the 2010 Formula One testing in Valencia Spain.

After his long awaited second Formula One debut, Pedro de la Rosa surprised everyone posting the second quickest time. Schumacher followed with third quickest time and Nico Rosberg fourth having been the first to take the W01 on its maiden voyage for Mercedes GP.

McLaren test pilot Gary Paffett was the first to put the MP4-25 to its paces on Monday running 86 laps and posting the fifth fastest time. William’s new driver Rubens Barrichello trailed behind posting a time of 1:14.449 seconds which was good enough to see him sit in the sixth slot.

Toro Rosso’s first constructors’ season with the 2010 STR5 (they had previously been using cars based on those of Red Bull Racing who had bought Minardi in 2006) had team driver Sebastien Buemi slide into seventh position while Robert Kubica in the Renault R30 clocked with eighth position.

Monday was also the day in which fans got their first glimpse of the Toro Rosso STR5, the Mercedes GP MGP W01 and the Williams FW32.

Unofficial Monday test times from Valencia:
1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:12.574, 102 Laps
2. Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber, 1:12.784, 74 Laps
3. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP, 1:12.947, 40 Laps
4. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP, 1:13.543, 39 Laps
5. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:13.846, 86 Laps
6. Rubens Barrichello, Williams, 1:14.449, 75 Laps
7. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:14.762, 18 Laps
8. Robert Kubica, Renault, 1:15.000, 69 Laps

Drivers who did not get out to test: Vitaly Petrov (Renault), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Jenson Button (McLaren), Nico Hulkenberg (Williams)

Test will however continue until Wednesday.

In preparation for pre-season testing, Renault lifted the covers on its 2010 Renault R30 Formula One car. Along with this news comes the news of newly confirmed team driver Vitaly Petrov.

25 year old Petrov is the first Russian driver to compete in Formula One. Partnering him this season will be Robert Kubica. Ho-Pin Tung will be Renealt’s third driver. The teams stand-in drivers will be Jan Charouz and Jerome d’Ambrosio.

Petrov, a runner up in last year’s 2009 GP2 season is looking forward to the opportunity to drive for the well established team now operated by Eric Boullier.

Chassis modifications have been made this year to accommodate a larger fuel tank due to this years refueling ban. Also, the design to tailor in the double-decker diffusers has been maximized to make the most out of them. Most notably, Renault has gone back to their famous 80’s black and yellow color scheme.

Team principal Boullier was particularly proud of his team for assembling the car on time and making Monday’s Valencia circuit test possible.

“We’ve been working flat-out during the winter to ensure that we begin the new season in the best shape possible. The R30 should be a competitive, strong and reliable car, and we’ve opted for an aggressive development strategy throughout the season. Now we’re here ready for the first test and we’re all excited to see if the car performs as we think it will” said Boullier.

BMW Sauber is the next team on the list to show the world their new racing equipment. The unveiling was held in Valencia, Spain today and tomorrow will see the commencement of their Forumula One pre-season testing.

As team founder Peter Sauber returns back to the helm (after BMW having recently pulled out of the team), he is certain that with all of the commotion now aside the team is well composed and have a competitive car for the 2010 season. Some new features of the BMW Sauber C29 is that it will be using a Ferrari motor and gearbox and the front nose is raised rather high with a long undercut transition from chassis to underbody.

Official team drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi pulled the sheet off of the car together on the Valencia circuit. This season will be a big one for both drivers as it is Pedro de la Rosa’s return to the driver’s seat from sideline activities at McLaren for the past seven years.  Also for the young Kamui Kobayashi, this will mark his first full Formula One season as last year he was only a Toyota reserve driver.

I am sure that this combination of seasoned experience and aggressive young talent will be a fruitful one. Peter Sauber has a knack for picking drivers and although their team manpower and financial budget have been reduced this year as compared to previous years, they do look to be solid contenders.

Unlike just about every other Ferrari ever built, the California is quite a bit different and breaks new ground in many aspects for Ferrari. This smooth and sophisticated hard top grand touring cabriolet is tame in comparison to its counterparts from Maranello.

It features Ferrari’s first ever front mounted V8, first dual-clutch automated manual transmission (which by the way feels incredibly seamless) and the first use of direct injection in a Ferrari. This Ferrari is also the cheapest of all Ferrari’s currently being sold. However, that is definitely not due to the fact that it is inferior.

An amazing new production line facility has been built to produce this car. Of course that means this car is not handmade. That said, the highest level of quality is still ensured. The new facility which produces Ferrari’s first modular architecture platform is similar to that of a hospital operating room – freakishly clean and chillingly quiet.

Despite the luxurious impression that the Ferrari California portrays, it still performs well in the handling department providing crisp feedback to the driver and a well balanced composure under hard cornering. Although not quite as aggressive as the exhaust note on the F430, the California still gives off a sporty sound from its 453 horsepower 4.3L 180-degree V8 with an 8000 RPM redline. It’s 0-60 is also nothing short of impressive sitting at 4 seconds.

On the dashboard you have a touch screen navigation system by Harman/Becker, hard drive for music storage, Bluetooth for phone integration and complete iPod integration. The beautifully designed hard top feels solid and does not creak, squeak or rattle – an inherent problem with many folding tops. It does have 2 rear seats which are useful for someone the size of an infant and the rear trunk will fit a large suitcase. The trunk also does contain a pass-through hole for long items.

All around, the 2010 Ferrari California would be a good daily driver with the ability to keep you comfortable and provide you with some practical and useful features. Some people do not care for the rear end design of the car and that is fine. However, the stacked tail pipes are done that way to create more room for a better under body airflow management design. The front end though does remind me a lot of the Maserati Gran Turismo.

Today the McLaren Forumula One team launched its MP4-25 Grand Prix racecar for the 2010 season. Team drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button did the honors of physically unveiling it themselves for the world to see. Many see the appearance of this car as controversial due to one main reason.

That large reason is the fact that a large dorsal fin has been added to the engine cover. Although they have tested these styles of wings before without actually using theme, it was decided this time to implement the feature. The front wing on the McLaren does also look more complicated than that of the Ferrari F10. McLaren also used live web stream to feature their new Formula One creation.

Ferrari has now released high resolution photos of its new F10 Formula One Grand Prix racecar. The 2010 season will see Fernando Alonso and Filipe Massa compete as team Ferrari drivers. The car looks to me like a huge improvement over last season’s car in that the side pods appear to be much more stream lined. Should be interesting to see how it performs throughout the season.

This year, the Italian team used http://formula1.ferrari.com/ to broadcast the unveiling event live as well as Twitter and Youtube to maximize its reach to its fans.

These are some great shots so please enjoy them!