Latest news with #GranTurismo
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Is 16 Old Enough to Race? Porsche Thinks So
Three weeks after you turned sixteen, what were you doing? If you're like me, maybe you were trying to figure out something about a car. More likely, you were fantasizing about your favorite cars while playing Forza or Gran Turismo. What you probably weren't doing was driving an actual Porsche race car on an actual racetrack. But that's exactly what Italian kart and Formula 4 racer Elia Weiss will be doing. Weiss will be driving a 99X Electric in the upcoming Formula E rookie test. The single-seat car, specially designed for Formula E, accelerates from zero to 100 km/h quicker than an F1 car - around two seconds, the automaker says. The rookie test is a race featuring untested, usually younger, Formula E drivers, with the goal of both exposing newcomers to Formula E and gaining valuable experience. Stuttgart is making history by choosing Weiss as their driver, with the second-youngest driver in Formula E history being chosen last year by McLaren, at 17 years old. Considering that 16 is the minimum age allowed by the DMSB, this is an accolade Weiss will hold forever. For reference, the average age of a Formula E driver hovers around 31. Although Weiss may be young, he's got a fair bit of experience making things go quickly around a racetrack. Weiss won the German karting championship title just last year and conducts sim racing tests with OEMs like Audi, BMW, and Porsche. Further padding his resume is his upcoming participation in Italian Formula 4. The rookie says he has already practiced a bit with the Formula E car in a simulator. "I was able to get to know the systems, felt right at home there, and got on really well with the engineers. Other than that, I'm preparing myself as best I can." He goes on to drive home the importance of fitness and strength when piloting the rapidly accelerating Formula E cars. You aren't alone if you're wondering how Weiss got a gig like this. According to The Race, a few Porsche bigwigs noticed Weiss two years ago at the Karting World Cup finals. The publication raises some solid questions, though: most other Formula E rookie test programs are utilizing older drivers, and certainly racers with a few more competitions under their belts. The answer, perhaps, is hidden in comments made by Florian Modlinger, Director of Factory Motorsport Formula E. "The energy management [of Formula E cars] is complex, which means that the mental challenges in particular are incredibly tough in Formula E. This reduces the pool of potential drivers." Thinking about regen and energy usage, according to Modlinger, isn't a skill every racer has. "While he was a guest in our simulator, we were particularly impressed by how he interacted with the engineers," he says of Weiss. He goes on to say that the 16-year-old "comes across as a much more mature racing driver." Experience is just one component of victory on the track. Especially in a budding motorsport like Formula E, there are other variables OEMs and teams need to account for when choosing drivers. All eyes will definitely be on Weiss come the July rookie test, especially with rival teams placing older and more experienced drivers in the same position. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Press and Journal
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- Press and Journal
The Drive at Haddo: First look inside car café near Methlick
The Drive at Haddo, the much anticipated car café near Methlick, will be opening in the next two weeks. That's according to director James Evans, who has been leading the preparation efforts at the Aberdeenshire café. Since the news broke of the cafe's opening, social media has erupted with excitement. 'It has gone mental,' James says, 'It has blown up. 'On a daily basis we've got people coming here to ask when we're opening.' The café is kitted out with three flat-screen TVs to display Formula 1, MotoGP and Le Mans. There is also a gaming station for children – and adults – to brush up on their Gran Turismo racing simulation skills on PS5. The cafe, owned by Haddo Estate, is situated on the B9170 near the Tarves turn-off. The site was formerly known as Formartine's Shop and Eatery, which closed in 2021. The renovated space is now fully decked out with tables and chairs at around 100 covers, plus new flooring and décor, and will be ready to open in the next fortnight. The car café, one of the few of its kind in Scotland, has gained 3k Facebook followers in a matter of weeks. It will be a space for car meets, where automotive enthusiasts and car clubs can congregate to display their vehicles. One Instagram user said: 'Can't wait, great to see more car enthusiast locations!' While another added: 'Exactly what Aberdeenshire needed! Can't wait for this to open.' While it is certainly a hit with car enthusiasts, James insists that the café will be a space for everyone. He adds: 'I want people to understand that they don't have to like cars or motorbikes to come here, it's not just for that – it's for everyone. 'I know we're trying something new here – it's not what people are used to – but I think the area absolutely needs it. 'It is different, I understand that. But I hope everyone loves it. 'I want the local community to know they can come here at any time and enjoy the space. 'I have tried to be as inclusive for everyone as I can: dog owners, café lovers, coffee lovers, food lovers.' James shared further details on the cafe's menu, which will feature a wide variety of burgers and racetrack-themed loaded fries. Each plate of loaded fries will depict a different racetrack. For example, Knockhill Racing Circuit in Fife will be represented by haggis loaded fries, and the German Hockenheimring circuit by a currywurst-inspired loaded fries. Huntly family-run business Rizza's will be providing the cafe's ice cream, with dairy-free and dog-friendly ice cream also available. Milkshakes, coffee, cakes, pies and pastries will also be on offer. It will be counter service at the new café, which will be open 8am-6pm every day when it opens. The sleek interior of the café is paired with outside seating perfect for the summer weather. The team are considering adding awnings later in the year too. The café will be dog-friendly outside and in the lounge area, but not in the main café space. Dogs can get fed too, as there's a little treat station and water bowls for your furry friends. The outside play area at The Drive at Haddo is shaping up, with tyres donated from local farmers. There's also an inside play area with toy cars, a blackboard, books, a play kitchen and more. Last minute preparations are now underway before the café opens in the next few weeks. You can keep an eye on their Facebook page for the opening date. We will also be reviewing the cafe's menu soon. Meanwhile, the café are looking for cooks to join the team. If you're interested get in touch with James via email here: thedrivehaddo@
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Stellantis Squashes Rumors of Plan to Sell Maserati
Maserati may be struggling, but its parent company, Stellantis, says it's not ready to cut ties. The automaker reaffirmed its commitment to the historic Italian brand this week, responding to renewed speculation that Maserati could be on the chopping block. The denial came after Reuters reported that Stellantis had hired McKinsey & Company to help chart a course forward amid sluggish sales and mounting external pressures, including new U.S. import tariffs. Two sources told Reuters that all options-including a potential divestment of Maserati-were on the table. But a Stellantis spokesperson pushed back firmly. "Respectfully, Maserati is not for sale," the company said, signaling it still sees long-term value in Maserati despite recent turbulence. While Stellantis says it isn't shopping Maserati around, it has engaged consultants to take a hard look at the brand's future. According to sources familiar with the talks, McKinsey is still early in its review process and has yet to deliver any formal recommendations. One source noted that Stellantis instructed McKinsey to consider "all possibilities," suggesting that even internal discussions may be more open-ended than the company lets on publicly. Meanwhile, there are reported disagreements among Stellantis's leadership. Some board members believe Maserati holds unique value as the company's only true luxury marque, while others question whether Stellantis can afford to give the brand the support it needs. Part of the problem is Maserati's product pipeline-or lack thereof. The brand discontinued two of its best-selling models, the Ghibli sedan and Levante SUV, with replacements not scheduled until 2028 and 2027, respectively. That's an eternity in a rapidly evolving auto market. For now, the $80,000 Grecale compact SUV is Maserati's only utility vehicle-a risky position given ongoing consumer demand for crossovers. The GranTurismo and MC20 supercar round out the lineup, but neither is likely to generate meaningful volume in today's market. Former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares acknowledged last year that Maserati was "in the red," and the company's performance hasn't improved. Through the first quarter of 2025, sales are down nearly 50% compared to the year before. The broader issue might be strategic confusion. Maserati is supposed to be Stellantis's halo brand, but it's increasingly caught in a tug-of-war with Alfa Romeo. Both companies are Italian, performance-focused, and eyeing premium segments-but they can't cannibalize each other. That makes lineup planning even more complicated. If Stellantis is serious about turning Maserati around, it will likely need to invest heavily and clarify the brand's role within the conglomerate. But that kind of long-term bet is hard to square with short-term financial losses, especially as Stellantis faces headwinds on multiple other fronts. For now, the automaker is holding the line. But unless sales turn around or the strategy sharpens, the rumors are unlikely to go away. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
If Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par moved you, these sports coach films will too
If Aamir Khan's return as a coach in Sitaare Zameen Par after Dangal (2016) has got you cheering once again, then make sure to stream performances of other top actors from the industry who had taken on the mentor role with equal brilliance. Stills from Jhund and Iqbal Get ready to watch the performances of Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, among others, who turned inspiring coaches, with these sports films. Watch more sports dramas across languages like Jersey, Gran Turismo and more only on OTTplay Premium Actors who inspired as sports coaches Jhund Amitabh Bachchan delivers an inspiring performance as a football coach in this Hindi drama, released in 2022. He showed us that despite being in old age, a person's strong will and determination can transform anything in this world. His character Vijay Borade teaches Mumbai's slum children football, offering them an escape from drugs and crime and ultimately guiding them toward a national tournament. Ghoomer This Hindi drama made its World Premiere at the Indian Film Festival in Melbourne in 2023. The movie shows Abhishek Bachchan as a determined cricket coach, who despite failing to make a memorable life for himself, gives his best to train a young woman, who loses her right hand on the very evening of her international cricketing debut in an horrific accident. Abhishek is seen giving her unconventional training to become a bowler for the Indian cricket team. Iqbal In this Hindi drama, Naseeruddin Shah takes on the inspiring role of a cricket coach, who guides a young man with hearing and speech impairments. Despite his disabilities, the aspiring cricketer harbours a burning ambition to join the national cricket team. The veteran actor is seen to employ innovative and unconventional coaching methods to help his determined protégé realise this seemingly impossible dream. Saala Khadoos This movie was made both in Tamil and Hindi languages, simultaneously. R. Madhavan is seen as the boxing coach, who takes on the charge to train a fishmonger for the national tournament. His character, Adi Tomar's career ended as a boxer due to political dispute. Hence, now he promises himself to gain all the respect by training the female fishmonger and get back his lost esteem, as well as give her a new life. Do Lafzon Ki Kahani Actor Mamik Singh takes on the role of Randeep Hooda's boxing coach in this Hindi drama. The story follows the two lives of a promising boxer Sooraj, who's haunted by his troubled past, and a visually impaired woman Jenny, who navigates the world with grace. The movie is a mixture of budding romance, determination, and strong will, challenging their fragile bond. The narrative delves into the complexities of building their future together.
Miami Herald
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
11 Cars That Need To Be Added To Gran Turismo 7 ASAP
As a loyal and avid fanatic of the Gran Turismo racing video game franchise, having played the legendary driving simulator since the release of its second instalment way back in 1999, it's a video game that holds a dear place deep within my heart. Even today, Gran Turismo 7 remains one of the only video games I still play, and is one of my favorite racing games of all time. Despite the commendable achievements and my lengthy seat time in other racing games such as Forza Motorsport, Forza Horizon, Test Drive Unlimited 2, Need For Speed instalments, Assetto Corsa, Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition, Midnight Club: LA, Driver San Fransisco, and many more, no racing game has ever captivated my attention as much as Gran Turismo 7 has. With its immersive attention to detail, gorgeous visuals, well-curated track selection and vibrant car list, it's the only game that can truly scratch my itch to go for a drive as much as actually heading out for a drive–something I am extremely gracious to have discovered considering how expensive gas and insurance can be. Polyphony Digital released Gran Turismo 7 way back in 2022, and with consistent free updates being rolled out on an almost-monthly basis, its car list is ever-growing. Despite this, many longtime fans of the iconic franchise remain vocal that the game's vehicle selection lacks the diversity found in past Gran Turismo instalments. In Gran Turismo 6, Polyphony's developers employed a two-tier model system, including "detailed cars" and "simple cars," which allowed the game to feature over 1,200 unique vehicles, compared to just over 400 vehicles contained within Gran Turismo 7. Although Polyphony made the intentional and frankly commendable decision to drop "standard cars" from the game in an effort to provide more focused attention to detail for the vehicles that are included and to maximize beautification, many of the "detailed cars" from Gran Turismo 6 are still missing from the franchise's seventh and most recent instalment, despite having high-quality models and brand licensing rights. Although there are more than just fifteen examples of "detailed cars" in GT6 that didn't make the cut for GT7, the following fifteen cars are the ones we miss the most, in no particular order. Packing 217 horsepower made from a naturally-aspirated K20A 2.0-liter four-cylinder with an 8,400 rpm redline, it's genuinely surprising that the 2004 Integra Type R has yet to see the light of day in Gran Turismo 7, especially considering the massive popularity of the Integra Type R's previous generation within the game. Despite its front-wheel drive mechanicals, the Integra Type R earned its reputation for its rear-wheel drive-esque handling dynamics, light and balanced weight, and its sprightly, high-revving powertrain. Although you'll be able to find the 1999 Honda S2000 (AP1) occasionally in Gran Turismo 7's used car dealership, the updated, larger-displacement 2006 Honda S2000 (AP2) is absent in the game, despite its availability as a "detailed car" in Gran Turismo 6. With a 2.2-liter displacement, the AP2 Honda S2000 drops its redline from 9,000 rpm to just 8,000 rpm, but packs 235 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque beneath its bonnet. Power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, making a perfect platform to toss around a truck in Gran Turismo or to modify into a precision track machine. With a fierce, growling supercharged 5.0-liter V8 under the hood producing up to 542 horsepower, the 2011 Jaguar XKR-S is a serious high-performance machine that even gives far more expensive Aston Martins a run for their money. Thankfully, for now, the Jaguar F-Type R satiates our thirst for supercharged V8 Jaguar goodness in Gran Turismo 7, but we think the hardened, track-focused XKR-S would look fantastic alongside its baby brother in GT7's lauded photo mode. With its screaming, 661-horsepower naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V12, the 2009 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce seems like it would be an ideal addition to Gran Turismo 7. Although the game features the standard variant of the Lamborghini Murcielago and the SuperVeloce variant of the more recent Aventador, the striking hues of the Murcielago SV's vibrant paint colours and the polarizing screech of its high-strung V12 are sorely missed. The 2007 Lexus IS F is what happens when you cross precision Japanese engineering with the brute force of a V8 muscle car and the agile dynamics of a compact sport sedan. A cult classic in its own right, powered by a naturally-aspirated, 416-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, paired with rear-wheel drive, seems like the perfect recipe for an in-game BMW M3 fighter. Using a recipe akin to that of the timelessly iconic Shelby Cobra, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage stuffs a massive, 6.0-liter V12 into a small sports car chassis originally designed for a much smaller, 4.3-liter V8. With supercar-like horsepower and agile dynamics, the V12 Vantage can be quite a handful on a racetrack–exactly what longtime Gran Turismo players pine for. Sure, calculated and tame racing cars offer drivers precision tools for record lap times, but sometimes players just want something unhinged to challenge their own abilities. We'd love to see this hardcore machine in Gran Turismo 7 soon. The inclusion of the ever-iconic Mazda MX-5 in the Gran Turismo franchise seems inevitable, but Gran Turismo 7 seems to lack many variants of the MX-5 that seem like no-brainers to add into the game. Without the MX-5's second, NB generation, without the latest, ND-generation MX-5's 2.0-liter powered variant, and without the MX-5's third, NC generation, MX-5 buyers get the short end of the stick when they power up their PlayStations. One of the most insane performance station wagons of all time, the 2008 Audi RS 6 Avant saw a twin-turbocharged, 5.0-liter V10 shoehorned into the front of a luxurious family estate car. With the recent additions of other family-friendly vehicles such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota C-HR, and the Mazda CX-30, one would think that a 580-horsepower, turbocharged V10-powered station wagon would be a better fit for a racing game franchise that wants to include family cars. Only time will tell if we'll ever see this monster in another Gran Turismo game. A favourite amongst AMG fanatics, the naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V8-powered 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG seems like it should be an obvious addition to Gran Turismo 7, combining the brute force of a 451-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 with the oversteer-happy dynamics of the W204-generation Mercedes C-Class. Perhaps one day we'll be blessed with this brute in the virtual world of Gran Turismo once again, or better yet, the ferocious C63 AMG Black Series coupe. Something of a high-water mark for the performance sedan, the 2008 BMW M5 paired a mid-size executive sedan with a high-strung, 500-horsepower, naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V10 and rear-wheel drive. Although the BMW M5 (E60) came equipped with BMW's notoriously finicky SMG-II sequential transmission, North American buyers had the option for a more traditional six-speed manual transmission–a recipe that resulted in one of the most beloved sport sedans of all time, and its appreciating market values are beginning to reflect this feat. Please, Polyphony, hear our cries, and bless us with this true God amongst mere sport sedan mongrels. A Pininfarina-penned masterpiece, Ferrari's 599 GTB is a fine example of the Italian legacy marque's excellence in crafting extraordinarily beautiful V12-powered Grand Tourers. And, well, isn't that precisely what Gran Turismo is all about? Although the gorgeous Ferrari F12 has been included in GT7 since day one, and the polarizing 812 Superfast recently made its in-game debut last month with the game's most recent update, we'd love to see the 599 included to further complete the Ferrari V12 Grand Tourer lineage in the racing game. As Polyphony Digital rolls out occasional updates containing oddball vehicles like kei trucks and mundane crossovers like the Toyota C-HR and Honda CR-V, fans are left wondering why we're given access to hybrid SUVs and diesel-powered Unimogs when iconic performance cars like the ones mentioned here are being withheld. Hopefully, Polyphony Digital will hear our cries and grant us more performance-oriented modern classics instead of dull crossovers and other vehicles that seem genuinely out of place in a game that brands itself as the ultimate racing simulator. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
