A.J. Foyt is one of the stellar names in the history of motorsports. This Texan started his racing career on a small dirt track in the town of Springfield, Illinois in 1957. Though his career had him traveling over a large part of the world, the most exciting races were those in America. He became the first four time winner of the Indianapolis 500, on that famous motor speedway. He has competed in 35 Indy 500s as a driver, which is a record that probably will stay unchallenged.

A.J. has driven in a number of different venues: NASCAR, midgets, sprints, and even Le Mans. He won over 150 major races during his driving career, which has been over more than four decades. Not only is this man talented and versatile, but his long career has showed off two of his major character qualities: perseverance and toughness.

Not only has A.J. instilled a love of cars and racing to his children, he himself received it from his father. His father was an auto mechanic that loved racing, and would tell A.J. stories of the auto racing of years gone by. They worked on cars together, as his father had them as a hobby as well as a business.

He took one of the cars from his father and started out on the racing circuit in the years 1953 through 1957. Though he persevered, driving the tow vehicle to get the racer to the various tracks, success did not happen often. However, other race car owners noticed the young man, and made him offers to be a driver for more established teams.

The year 1958 was his first year driving in the Indy 500. He got past the rookie weedout, and finished 16th in the race, actually earning several thousand dollars for the effort. This was a great encouragement for someone used to sleeping in the towing vehicle, or on an extra cot in someone’s house.

The cars of that era did not have many safety features, and accidents often caused severe injury to the drivers. In 1965, an accident in Riverside, California left him with a broken ankle, a broken back, and severe chest injuries. A doctor pronounced Foyt dead at the scene, but driver Parnelli Jones say some movement and revived him. Only ten weeks later, Foyt was back behind the wheel, winning five races that season.

The next year his car hit the wall in Wisconsin, causing the fuel tank to rupture, and burning A.J.’s hands and face. The rest of that season was a difficult one to finish, and his point ranking put him 13th in the list. Other people began talking about his retiring from the track. This caused A.J. to make 1967 a banner year, and he won the national title for the fifth time. This included his third win at Indianapolis. The Indy 500 that year had a remarkable finish. A.J. was in front by nearly one lap, and as he was making the last lap, there was a large group of cars in front of him. All of a sudden, a number of cars were spinning, and bouncing off the walls. A.J. dropped his car into second gear, deciding he was going to win even if he had to push a few cars ahead of him across the finish line.

Many more notable successes came, along with a number of other injuries, through the 1970s and 1980s. One of the worst happened in 1990, when his brakes failed and the car sailed off of the track at 190 mph and landed in a dirt wall. Though the injuries were not life threatening, both of his legs were shattered. The pain was intense, and required several surgeries. After another six months of therapy, he limped to his car to qualify second for the Indy 500. Though he did not complete this race due to a mechanical malfunction, the heart and determination of this great racer is exemplified by this victory over circumstance.

German premier automotive maker BMW continues to maintain its hold as the top selling luxury auto brand in the world. Battling with archrival Mercedes-Benz year in and year out for the highest laurels, BMW continues to constantly tweak its existing line and add new vehicles to its line in a bid to stimulate and strengthen customer interest. One area where BMW has found much of its recent success is with its race car inspired line of vehicles, the M Series. Since 1979 various Motorsports [M} tags have been affixed to vehicles that have been developed by the BMW Motorsports division, including the BMW M3 a car based on BMW's popular 3 Series. Today, BMW engineers are hard at work on developing an all new BMW M3 and, if all of the auto buzz is correct, very few cars will be able to keep up with this 400 hp road commander. Please keep reading for a closer look at the all new, soon to be released, BMW M3.

A pitched battle in autodom continues to gather force pitting German automaker against German automaker. Legendary Mercedes-Benz is taking on heralded BMW for the right to call themselves the top selling luxury brand in the world. For years, the honor belonged exclusively to Mercedes-Benz, but a recent stumble on Mercedes' part coupled with a surge of new products from BMW has placed BMW in first place. Not far behind the two is Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, but for now the battle remains a fight between these two German automakers.

For luxury car enthusiasts, the BMW-Mercedes rivalry has been a win-win battle as both automakers have been pouring engineering funds into their vehicles. Neither automaker is resting on their past achievements; instead both are pressing forward to add the latest safety features including Mercedes' Night Vision Assist and BMW's impact absorbing bumpers which absorb stronger impacts without damaging the vehicle's main body. Safety is one of the chief concerns for consumers when selecting a particular luxury brand according to all of the leading automotive industry surveys.

For BMW, its latest automotive project has been a closely guarded secret until very recently. Camouflaged spy shots of the all new BMW M3 have been circulating on the internet for some time now but only since June has a pre-production version of a fully unclothed BMW M3 been spotted. It was seen navigating the twisting roads of Southern California according to The Car Connection, the vehicle information and shopping site.

For BMW enthusiasts, news of a BMW M3 pre-production sighting means one thing: BMW will soon announce the date in 2007 when its latest M Series car will be available in dealer showrooms.

Right now, the current BMW M3 is still based on the fourth generation 3 Series which was replaced in 2006. The new BMW M3 will be based on the latest generation body frame and feature some notable improvements over the previous BMW M3 model including:

A larger, more potent V8 engine with an output of 400 horses. Currently, the BMW M3 features an inline six engine with a 333 horsepower output. The new model is expected to rocket from start to 60 in under 5 seconds, topping out at 155 mph.

A six or possibly seven speed manual transmission.

A longer wheelbase for better weight distribution.

Styling cues from the BMW M3 will find its way to the new model from front wing vents to twin exit exhausts along with the ubiquitous M series recognized emblems.

For Mercedes enthusiasts they can point to the soon to be released 2007 C Class, which is the direct competitor for the BMW 3 Series, as evidence that DaimlerChrysler will not let BMW out of its crosshairs anytime soon. A new AMG [motorsport] version of the C Class will follow, ratcheting up what is certain to a pitched battle to be enjoyed by compact luxury car devotees worldwide.

Additional competitors to the BMW M3 include the Cadillac CTS-V, the Audi RS4, and the Lexus IS. Prices have not been set for the new M3, but they can be expected to top out at around $60,000 fully equipped.

The 2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400 is a gorgeous car. It is seen by car experts as an even more charged version of the previous V8 Vantage that was released by Aston Martin. The car has even more power and is available as both a coupe and a roadster. The Aston Martins are very popular and are loved for both their engines as well as their sleek looks. The Vantage N400 is a special edition vehicle that is as gorgeous and as it is powerful.
History of Aston Martin

Aston Martin is a British vehicle manufacturer that is cantered in Gaydon, Warwickshire, England. It was started by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin in 1913. The two men had partnered to sell cars made by Singer in 1912. The two men decided to make their own cars and named their model the Aston Martin after Martin’s love of the hill climb races at Aston Hill (which is near Aston Clinton). The first Aston Martin ever produced was a four cylinder Coventry-simplex engine that was on the chassis of an Isotta Fraschini from 1908. The car was made before they managed to acquire manufacturing premises in Kensington at Henniker Place (this happened in 1915). Unfortunately mass production of their cars could not start as soon as the partner’s had hoped because of the outbreak of the first World War, which is when Martin joined the Royal Army Service Corps and they sold all of their machinery to the Sopwith Aviation Company.

The company was re-founded and revitalized after the war ended when the company received financing from Count Louis Zborowski. Bramford left the company in 1920 but not until they had designed a new car.

Over the course of the car’s history, Aston Martins have been made to compete in the French Grand Prix (1922); they have set world endurance and speed records at Brooklands. The company has failed two times, once in 1924 and in 1925 with a factory closing taking place in 1926. The company was finally bought by some very rich investors, Lady Charnwood among them, and it was renamed Aston Martin Motors. The company headquarters were moved to Feltham and in 1929 the Aston Martin International racer car was a huge success.

In 2007, the company was purchased by David Richards, who is the Prodrive chairman. It is still co-owned by Ford (a development that happened in 1994). The company has also recently opened dealers in Europe and China. Now the company has dealers in 28 countries.

Aston Martin in the Media

The Aston Martin is most famously the car of that popular super spy, James Bond. The author of James Bond, Ian Fleming, gave his protagonist a DB Mark III in Goldfinger, the seventh James Bond book. The car first appeared on film in 1964 with the release of Goldfinger the movie and quickly became James Bond’s company car. In the most recent James Bond movie, two Aston Martin cars are driven: the classic DB5 and the new DB5.

The V8 Vantage N400

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400 was made to commemorate the achievements of Aston Martin at Nurburgring where the car has had extreme success in racing. This is absolutely a race car but it also has a variety of technical upgrades and enhancements to the usual standard range of external specifications.

The most important development in this special edition vehicle is the 4.3 litre V8 engine, which is much more virile than the engines in previous models. The new car has a power of 400bhp and a torque peak of 420Nm. It also comes with a “Sports Pack.” This “Sports Pack” is tailored to racing dynamics fans that are in search of a car with superior handling. The Sports Pack is responsible for the car’s wheels (aluminum) and turning (diamond), springs (up-rated), dampers and the coupe is equipped with an anti-roll bar. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400 comes standard as a two-door coupe that seats two and has a convertible top. It has a six-speed transmission and the Sports Package comes with a sport shift option. It has sports suspension and cruise control.

This car also comes standard with satellite navigation, a premium audio system, exterior mirrors that are power fold, heated memory seats, cruise control and even preparation for the Bluetooth telephone.

Options of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400

The N400 has a ton of special options that buyers can order to enhance what is already a magnificent vehicle. American buyers can choose to add a Satellite radio system and Roadster owners can choose to add a wind deflector and hood colors. Buyers in the UK can choose to add a tracking device. Other special options include an alarm upgrade, a battery conditioner and an auto-dimming interior rear view mirror. There are also the options of including an alternative brake caliper finish as well as a smoker’s pack.

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400 is going to be a rare car as only two hundred and forty of them will be made and they are already in great demand. Aston Martins, as a rule are rare as the company’s history has led to less than fifteen thousand of them being produced. These spectacular cars are the dream of every car enthusiast in the world.

Because of the rarity of these cars, the reviews are few and far between. In fact, a web search will only turn up basic information gathered from the Aston Martin website and a bunch of photos. Car enthusiasts agree, the car is absolutely gorgeous and is being drooled over by car fanatics from all over the world.

The Aston Martin Company hasn’t had an easy time of it, but there is no doubt that the cars created by this company are superior to almost every other car on the road. They are beautiful and extremely sporty. After all, no matter what the stakes in a poker game might be, James Bond would not drive just any car, right?

Have you ever been to a NASCAR race? If you have then the word NASCAR should bring back some memories. There you were at those Saturday night races sitting under the moon and stars as the cars were flying past you at top speeds as they grinded into those walls, crowds cheering for their fans and crows booing at the villain. We believe there was nothing more fun then spending a Saturday night at the Darlington’s Dodge Challenger 500.

The dodge cars would start the races looking nice, fast and shiny then what did you get when they ended the race? Balled tired and a car that looked liked it was 30 years old, all falling apart and no paint. There is no doubt when the race was over those Dodges looked like they had been through a meat grinder. Then you have those drivers of the Dodge cars talking about how they had survive the race and how lucky they feel to have gotten to drive in the race. Then you have the racecar drivers families thanking goodness they survived.

Throughout the history of dodges in the NASCAR do you realize just how many individuals were hurt trying to win a race? The truth is a lot of individuals went through injuries and a lot of families went through a lot of worrying wondering if their loved one was going to make it out of the race. For instance take when Elliot Sadler attempted to drive underneath Tony Stewert but instead of driving underneath what he did was slid up the track, which left him pinning both him and the other driver against the wall. This not only caused damage to the cars but it also left Sadler out of the race for good and Stewert never did fully recover. When you think about the Dodge cars in the history of NASCAR and you know your stuff then you just can’t help to think about those individuals who have been through injuries during their races.

There are many different Dodge racecars that were used throughout NASCAR history. You have the Dodge Avenger, Dodge Charger and the Dodge Intrepid. Those three Dodge’s just so happen to be some of the top three Dodge cars to race in NASCAR. On a side note we would like to tell you that the Dodge charger just so happens to be a lot of individuals favorite car and it always has been. Many individuals like how good the Dodge charger did in the NASCAR races to the point they just had to go out and buy them a Dodge charger for themselves. We would like to tell you that while driving a enterprise Dodge Richard Petty won his fifth NASCAR Cup Championship.

NASCAR or the National Association for Stock Car Racing is one of the most popular spectator sports in the United States today. With millions of fans world wide, this racing event will be able to provide people with nonstop racing action from some of the best race car drivers in the United States.

Basically, the original concept of NASCAR was that the car should be composed of only stock parts or the parts that you would normally buy in auto parts store. However, this is true but not entirely. The race car in NASCAR is a high performance racing machine that is specifically designed to withstand high G-forces when banking on turns and also achieve high speeds while giving the driver total control of the car.

The first part that you might be interested in is the engine of a NASCAR race car. Basically, the engine is very close to what you have in your garage provided that you have a car with a big engine. However, the engine in NASCAR race cars is customizes so that it can withstand high temperatures and high torque that is normally found in race cars. Also, the components in the engine are precision-made in a very tight specification so that there is minimum amount of friction and provide the car with the maximum performance.

The carburetor is also designed to let a volume of fuel and air mixture that is required to sustain high speeds and maximum acceleration at lengthy spans of time. In NASCAR race cars, there are no fuel injectors in the engines.

The body of the car is also another aspect that you need to consider. Although it looks like your regular street car, the body is made to look that way but with roll bars. The inside of the car is also very basic. You won’t find any car stereos here or fancy leather seats, but just the basics. You have gauges, the seat, seatbelts roll bars, and pedals. That’s about it. In fact, you won’t even find a glove compartment in NASCAR race cars. Everything that is not important to the performance of the vehicle is removed as this is considered to be adding to the weight which will decrease the performance.

These are the main components of the NASCAR race car. Although it may look fancy on the outside with all the sponsor stickers, it’s a high performance machine that has the components to achieve maximum speed and performance.

The Corvette, manufactured by the Chevrolet corporation is a sports car that has been made since the early 1950’s. Ask anyone about Corvette and the answers you will get will range from high end, to expensive, but everyone knows what it is.

Originally the Corvette was made in Michigan, as well as Missouri, however today’s Corvette is made in Bowling Green Kentucky, and the complete Corvette history is nothing short of fascinating.

From 1953 to 1962, the Corvette was “THE” sport car of choice for anyone to a top business executive, to a race car driver to a famous movie star, but the complete Corvette history starts much further back than that. It had its roots in a time that was at least a decade earlier when a single man decided that he liked sports cars and wanted to see some class American sports cars come out of the United States.

Harley Earl adored sports cars and watching some of the soldiers who were coming home after WW2, Earl was watching them bring home Jaguars, MGs, and cars like the Alfa Romeo. His partnership with two other designers, and designs that they dreamed up, gave birth to the complete Corvette history.

He designed a car with the help of two other famous automotive designers, and Nash Motors began to sell a small two seat sports car called the Nash Healey. Earl then went to work to convince the powers that be at GM that they too needed to build a small sports car. Earl and a design crew started to work on a new car in that same year. The code name that was given to the car was “Opel.” The result was the Corvette, 1953 edition, which was first shown to the public at the car show called Motorama. The complete Corvette history had its beginning.

It was given the name Corvette, which was taken from a small frigate ship that was particularly able to be quickly maneuvered into position and the first few Corvettes were literally hand built to specifications in a plant in Flint, Michigan, where it was assiduously overseen for quality. Credit for naming one of the most famous cars in history goes not to the designers but instead to Myron Scott.

Sales of the car, due to a lowered performance rating, were not as great as it might have been hoped they would be and the history might have ended right here, since GM considered ending the project then and there. Enter the V-8 engine and a Russian engineer who came to work for GM and gave the Corvette a manual 3 speed transmission and the rest… well you guessed it, is the complete Corvette history.

When Enzo Ferrari created his company Scuderia Ferrari in Italy in 1929 his intentions was to sponsor amateur race car drivers and invent racing cars, and it would take more than 15 years before Ferrari began to create their own road cars in 1946. Ferrari is still devoted to the creation of racing cars and high performance sports cars and do not create other types of cars. Scuderia Ferrari is still the widespread name for Gestione Sportiva, the part of the Ferrari company that works with racing. Scuderia is an Italian word and means “stable”, but Scuderia Ferrari is sometime also translated as Team Ferrari.

During the early years, Scuderia Ferrari sponsored race car drivers that were driving Alfa Romeo cars. Scuderia Ferrari would prepare Alfa Romeo cars before the race, and in 1938 Enzo Ferrari became officially employed by Alfa Romeo’s racing department. Two years later Enzo Ferrari found out that Alfa Romeo was planning to absorb Scuderia Ferrari, a plan which Enzo Ferrari strongly opposed. He instantly left his job at Alfa Romeo, but his contract restricted him from being involved with racing for several years. He changed Scuderia Ferrari into “Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari” and officially manufactured aircraft accessories for a few years. Enzo Ferrari did however create a race car during this restricted period. The Tipo 815 debuted at the Mille Miglia race in 1940, but the race was hampered due to World War II and Tipo 815 encountered no real competition. In 1943 Enzo Ferrari moved his factory to Maranello in Italy and one year later the factory was bombed. After the end of World War II, Enzo Ferrari rebuilt his factory and now the Ferrari factory was capable of construction road cars as well.

Ferrari constructed its first road car in 1947. The 1947 125 S Ferrari had a 1.5 L V12 engine and the whole car was considered very beautiful and well designed. Enzo Ferrari was still more interested in race cars and the Ferrari road cars was merely a way for him to fund his work with the Scuderia Ferrari. His distaste for the road car customers became famous and he even accused them of buying Ferrari cars only as status symbols. It is true that the Ferrari road cars grow to fame not only due to excellent performance but also thanks to their stylish elegance. Pininfarina, Bertone, Ghia, Scagliette, Touring and Vignale are all examples of design houses that have worked with Ferrari.

In November 1961 a dispute between Enzo Ferrari and his sales manager, Girolamo Gardini, turned into a crisis. Girolamo Gardini threatened to leave the company. Enzo Ferrari responded to the threat by throwing out Girolamo Gardini, and several employees who agreed with Girolamo Gardini were also ousted. Among them were Romolo Tavoni, manager for Scuderia Ferrari, Giotto Bizzarrini, the chief of the experimental sports car development, and Carlo Chiti, the chief engineer. This was naturally a huge loss for the Ferrari company and the crisis deepened when those who had been thrown out formed their own company – Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS). ATS even managed to take over Scuderia Serenissima, a very successful racing team, from Ferrari.

A younger engineer, Mauro Forghieri, and an experienced racing bodyman, Sergio Scaglietti, assumed responsibility and tried to finish the projects that the leaving employees had left behind. One of the most important tasks was to finish the development of 250 GTO; a new 250-based model that could compete with the Jaguar E-type. The 250 GTO was finished in time to participate in the Sebring race and place itself first in class, driven by Phil Hill. Throughout 1962, the 250 GTO continued to win the races and it is still one of the most well known race cars in history. The crisis turned out to be something good for Ferrari and the 1960s became a very good decade for the company.

Until the 1980s when Ferrari began to use fuel injection in the road cars, the Ferraris were known as rather temperamental cars. They could be very unreliable, but would still attract a large group of dedicated fans that viewed this unpredictability as “character” rather than a problem. Today, FIAT controls 56 percent of the Ferrari stocks. The rest of stocks owned by Enzo’s con Piero Ferrari and by Commerzbank, Mediobanca and the Lehman Brothers. Maranello is still the home town for Ferrari.