Rubens Barrichello, known as Rubinho, will return to the Williams FW33 cockpit at Interlagos. This car, with which he finished his Formula 1 career in 2011, will be used on November 8th, before the start of the São Paulo GP, under the initiative called Historical Lap.
This event is part of the celebrations of Rubinho's 45-year career and is sponsored by ALE Combustíveis. The driver will have about ten minutes on track with the Williams, which will be equipped with the 2.4-liter naturally aspirated Cosworth V8 engine.
The choice of this vehicle carries a particular significance, as Rubinho competed in his last F1 race at the 2011 Brazilian GP, finishing in 14th place with the FW33. That season, Williams only scored five points in the championship. Although he tried to return to the grid in 2012 and came close to competing in the 2014 Brazilian GP for Caterham, the team's financial problems prevented this return.
When announcing the event, Rubinho expressed that he did not imagine it would be his last farewell in Interlagos in 2011, stating: 'I didn't think it would be the last goodbye when I greeted my audience in Interlagos in 2011. And it's a good thing it wasn't.' He promised to accelerate intensely, saying: 'I want to tear up the Interlagos straight with you.'
BMW reveals never-before-produced four-door Series 3 E36 Compact
A functional prototype of a four-door variant of the BMW Series 3 E36 Compact, which was never put into production, was revealed by BMW Classic. This novelty intrigued because the initial idea was for a two-door hatchback with the style of the E36 sedan and rear-wheel drive.
The exhibited example, of the 316i variant, was the most basic model, equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 102 hp. Unlike simply adding two doors to an E36 Compact, this project started from a sedan, whose trunk was shortened and received the hatchback tailgate.
The car's construction featured unusual characteristics, such as the center console having controls for all four windows, while the rear ones used a crank. BMW was apparently testing proportions and shapes, opting to create a functional car rather than a model. Originally, the vehicle was supposed to be 'Boston Green', but ended up receiving the 'Hellrot' red paint.
The main reason the Series 3 E36 Compact was never manufactured was the high production cost. BMW sought to minimize expenses on the hatchback, even using components from the E30 generation, such as the rear suspension with semi-trailing arms and much of the interior.
Alfa Romeo: 'Time to end screens in cars'
Alfa Romeo has joined the movement advocating for the end of touchscreens in vehicles. According to Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, the brand's head of design since 2021, the industry has exaggerated in this aspect, and it is time to reevaluate this trend.
The designer told Autocar that there was a 'war for screen centimeters,' which made no sense, as the screens had already become excessively large and were dominating the dashboard design. He also raised the issue of durability, predicting that these screens would become obsolete and expensive in a few years.
In response, the Cuorerosso concept, supervised by Mesonero-Romanos, eliminated a conventional multimedia unit. In its place, there is only a small screen on the center console that hides when not in use, sharing space with real physical controls.
Another highlight of the car is the instrument panel, which reinterpreted the traditional Italian concept of two circular dials, the cannochiale. These dials are digital and can reorganize to form a single screen, displaying only essential information without causing distraction. Mesonero-Romanos expressed a desire to drive at night with a single red-lit cannochiale.
Sensor tires may reduce braking distance
Cyber Tyre technology, presented by Pirelli in 2019, consisted of a tire with a sensor capable of communicating with the car's electronic systems. Tests conducted by the British magazine evo on a wet track demonstrated that a car equipped with the Cyber Tyre needed 5.7 meters less to stop from approximately 110 km/h compared to a car with equivalent tires but without the connected system.
The difference of the Cyber Tyre is not just pressure monitoring; each tire contains an internal sensor that collects data such as pressure, temperature, wear, load, and grip level. This information is transmitted in real-time to the vehicle's electronic control unit, which uses Pirelli algorithms to adjust the operation of ABS, stability control, and traction control according to the immediate conditions of the tire.
This overcomes a limitation of current systems, which operate with more generic calibrations. With the electronic sensor, the car precisely identifies the tire used, its condition, and its grip level, allowing for more precise interventions instead of just reacting to loss of traction. According to evo, the improvement was noted in both braking and wet cornering behavior, where the car maintained its trajectory for longer before exhibiting understeer.
Ram 2500 gets new top-of-the-line version
The Ram 2500 has received a new top-tier version in Brazil, the Laramie Night Edition. This version stands out for its darkened aesthetic appeal, replacing chrome elements with more sober finishes, such as grille trim, mirror caps, side steps, 18-inch wheels, and emblems. The bumpers are also painted in the body color.
To give it a more robust look, the hood now includes a central air intake, giving the front of the vehicle a sporty touch. This dark treatment extends to the interior, where seats, dashboard, steering wheel, and doors are upholstered in black leather. The equipment remains identical to the Ram 2500 Laramie, including a 12-inch multimedia center with wireless pairing for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 12.3-inch digital dashboard, 360-degree external cameras, a complete ADAS package, ventilated and heated front seats with electric adjustments, and dual-zone air conditioning.
The mechanical assembly remains unchanged, maintaining the 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel, which generates 436 hp and 148.7 kgfm of torque, coupled with the eight-speed ZF TorqueFlite transmission. The drivetrain offers 4x2, 4x4, and 4x4 low options, and the brakes consist of ventilated discs with dual pistons and floating calipers. The load capacity is 1,287 kg, and the maximum towing capacity reaches 8,948 kg.
Since it is essentially an aesthetic package, the Ram 2500 Laramie Night Edition does not present an exorbitant price increase, costing R$ 10,000 more than the standard Laramie, totaling R$ 569,990 against R$ 559,990 for the common version.
Gunther Werks creates 872 hp Porsche 911 in tribute to Martin Brundle
Martin Brundle, known in Brazil as a rival to Ayrton Senna in English Formula 2, accumulated a vast career, competing in 158 Formula 1 GPs, winning the endurance world title, and winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He is currently recognized for his interviews on the starting grid of Formula 1.
In his honor, Gunther Werks produced a 872 hp Porsche 911. The special project was designed by Brundle's own daughter, Charlie Brundle, who is an automotive designer and has collaborated with McLaren, Aston Martin, and Jaguar Land Rover.
The vehicle, named Gunther Werks Brundle Edition Turbo, is based on the Porsche 993, but with an increased displacement to 4.0 liters and the addition of two turbos, resulting in 872 hp and 84.4 kgfm. It features a six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. The 911 Brundle was enhanced with independent suspension using overlapping triangular arms, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, modified aerodynamics with an adjustable rear wing, and forged magnesium wheels. Martin Brundle participated in tuning the suspension and the Sport and Track modes.
Charlie handled the aesthetics, creating a two-tone pearlescent paint inspired by her father's helmet. The name Brundle replaces the Porsche logo on the rear, and the initials MB are engraved on the carbon fiber seats. There are also references to the driver's career in the interior finish, including a Bell helmet with the same paint, signed by Brundle. On the dashboard, Charlie included a recurring phrase from her father: 'The most important bit of the car is the nut holding the steering wheel.'
Only five units of the Brundle Edition Turbo will be manufactured. Gunther Werks has not yet disclosed the price, but given that other modified 911s from the company exceed US$ 1,000,000, a high price is expected.