Toni Elias switches to World Superbikes for the rest of the 2013 season

After Michel Fabrizio’s departure from the Red Devils Roma Aprilia team, the Italian based squad has decide to replace him with Toni Elias for the rest of the season.

The former 2010 Moto2 World Champion will ride the Aprilia RSV4 and make his World Superbike debut this weekend at Intercity Istanbul Park, a track he knows as he finished third in 2007 with a Honda RCV.

“I’ve been wanting to try a Superbike for a while” said Toni Elias “and Aprilia is one of the most competitive ones, at the moment. I’m pleased for the interest and for the kindness of the team and I will put all my commitment to return all the trust. I find myself in a championship that is drawing to an end for 2013, with still a lot in stake and many competitive riders. I will try anyway to find my spaces in order to show what I’m capable of.”

The 30-year old Elias was currently 18th in the Moto2 championship riding for Blusens Avintia and unable to return to the glory of the first Moto2 championship.

The Spanish team issued the following statement regarding Elias’ leaving the squad:

‘It is no secret that the results achieved so far this year were not enjoyed by anybody, although the team provided all of the necessary needs and Elias had given it his maximum on the track. Toni had already set his sights on World Superbikes for next season, but an immediate offer which involves finishing this year in that championship has accelerated the process.’

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

Porsche 918 Spyder and the others Live @ 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

The undisputed star at the Porsche’s stall of the 65th Frankfurt International Auto Show is the production variant of the 918 Spyder, successor to the Carrera GT. The model will be produced in 918 units only and come with an hybrid plug-in powertrain, a naturally-aspirated 4.6-liter V8 petrol engine and two electric motors - one for each axle - whose combined output is rated at 887 horsepower with peak torque vatying between 917 and 1280 Nm, depending on the gearing. Power is transferred to the wheels through a dual-clutch seven-speed automatic gearbox, while a 6.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is installed at the lower back of the monocoque, though the electric units can also be recharged through braking.

The 918 Spyder with 5 driving modes whose names are pretty self-explanatory by themselves: ‘E-Power’, ‘Hybrid’, ‘Sport Hybrid’, ‘Race Hybrid’ and ‘Hot Lap’. On electric power alone, the 918 Spyder will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 7 seconds, reaching a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph), but at its full potentiail the car burn the 0-100 km/h sprint time in just 2.8 seconds, hitting a top speed of 345 km/h (214 mph). However, in spite of these impressive performance figures, fuel consumption is pretty good: from 3.0 to 3.3 l/100km. Also worth mentioning is the advanced Porsche Active Aerodynamic (PAA), that adjusts some aerodynamic elements to improve the dynamic behavior of the car.

Also making an appearance in Frankfurt is the Porsche 911 GT3 - which we saw at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show - powered by a 3.8-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine producing 475 horsepower and 438 Nm of peak torque and coupled to a PDK seven-speed dual-clutch transmission sending power to the rear wheels via a locking differential. The GT3 can thrash the 0-100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds, hitting a top speed of 315 km/h (195 mph).

via EUROCARBLOG