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McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari call for unfreezing F1 engines

Formula One is a hugely expensive sport. Not only do you have enormous salaries and logistical expenses, as you would in any other sport, but each team also spends huge sums developing their own chassis from the ground up – and so too do the participating automakers in developing the engines. One of the ways the series organizers mitigate those costs is by freezing development. So once the new crop of V6 turbo hybrid powertrains were developed, that was it. But now three of the of the sport's leading teams are calling on the FIA to unfreeze engine development. Their reason? Unfair advantage. There's little question that Mercedes did the best job of developing its "power unit" to meet the new regulations that took effect at the beginning of this past season. That's how the Mercedes team won all but three of the grands prix this season and finished with at least one car on the podium at every single race. It's also a big part of how the teams that bought their engines from Mercedes this season managed to consistently outperform the other non-works-supported teams. That clear advantage is why Red Bull, Ferrari and now McLaren are calling for engine development to be unfrozen. Their argument is that, under the current locked-down status quo, their engine suppliers (Renault, Ferrari and Honda, respectively) cannot possibly catch up. So unless the FIA and Formula One Management want the next few seasons to be the kind of absolute blow-outs that this past season was, these leading teams argue, the powers that be are going to have to make some changes. For its part, Mercedes naturally counters that unfreezing engine development would send costs spiraling out of control. But then of course it stands to lose the most by re-opening engine development. If those three teams, however, closely intertwined as they are with the three other engine suppliers participating in next year's championship, manage to solicit enough support from the other customer teams and bring the matter to a vote, Mercedes may very well find itself out-numbered. News Source: ESPNImage Credit: Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Motorsports Ferrari McLaren Mercedes-Benz F1 engine

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan reveals GT-R LM Nismo, NRG plans eVgo expansion

Nissan has officially revealed the GT-R LM Nismo LMP1 car. The hybrid Le Mans racer uses a biturbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 up front to power the front wheels, plus a kinetic energy recovery system for an extra boost. Football fans likely caught a glimpse of the car in Nissan's With Dad commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, but the company has a couple more videos that show the car off quite well provided below. "This is innovation that excites," Says Nismo president Shoichi Miyatani. "Sustainability is at the top of our agenda, and the technical regulations for Le Mans give us the freedom to pursue new ideas in this area." Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release below. The NRG eVgo charging network now operates 120 DC fast charging stations in California. 60 of those are "Freedom Stations," offering both CHAdeMO and CCS charging cables, and 52 more of these are in the works. NRG plans to expand the eVgo network to 25 US markets in the next two years (up from the current 10), including chargers in Tennessee, as well as linking cities along the near entirety of the East and West coasts. Read more at Green Car Reports. Tesla has opened its 20th Supercharger station in the UK. The company says it will offer full UK coverage by the end of 2015. As of now, the Supercharger network extends as far north as Edinburgh, southwest to Exeter, and to Maidstone in the southeast, which is just up the road from access to mainland Europe through the English Channel Tunnel. Tesla operates more than 1,600 Superchargers worldwide at over 300 stations, with 129 stations and more than 670 Superchargers in Europe. Read more at Hybrid Cars. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Nissan reveals Le Mans challenger during Super Bowl - First glimpse of race-ready Nissan GT-R LM NISMO during Super Bowl XLIX - Innovative new LM P1 racing car is like no other Le Mans car - TAG Heuer, Motul and Michelin revealed as Nissan LM P1 partners YOKOHAMA, Japan Í– Nissan today declared itself ready to take on the world's best sports car manufacturers after revealing a glimpse of its Le Mans challenger – the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO – during the commercial break for Super Bowl XLIX. Last year's Super Bowl was the most watched television program in U.S. television history with over 110 million viewers.

An assortment of emblematic supercars is headed to auction

Auction house RM Sotheby's is giving enthusiasts the chance to bid on the supercars that they had posters of when they were kids. It's organizing a live sale in Miami, Florida, in December 2022 that's limited to 60 high-end models built between the 1970s and the 2010s. The oldest car in the catalog is a V12-powered 1974 Jaguar E-Type, though keep in mind that only 20 of the 60 available slots have been filled so far. At the other end of the spectrum, the newest model is currently a 2014 BMW M5. If your automotive tastes are firmly anchored in the 1980s, there's a wide selection of cars to choose from such as a 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition and a 1987 Porsche 911 Turbo with a flat-nose conversion. If your heart belongs in the 1990s, RM's sale includes a 1990 Lamborghini LM 002, a 1995 Ferrari 512 M, and a 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo. Bentley models and a 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR are among the newer classics. Carmakers weren't alone in pursuing speed, style, and extravagance in the 1980s; tuners fought hard for a piece of the pie as well, and RM's sale reflects that. Collectors will get the rare opportunity to bid on a number of pre-merger AMG models like a 1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SL 5.0 (R107), a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC 6.0 (C126) with a wide-body kit, and a 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL 6.0 (W126). BMW-based Alpina models are well represented, too: RM accepted a pair of 6 Series-based 1987 B7 coupes and a 3 Series-based B6 2.8.  There are several slots left so it's not too late to submit your car. If you're a buyer, plan on being in Miami on December 9 and 10, 2022. We suggest clearing up space in your garage first: every car is offered with no reserve, so the selling price will be the highest bid. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery RM Sotheby's supercar sale in Miami View 44 Photos Ferrari Jaguar Mercedes-Benz Porsche Auctions Luxury Supercars Classics