Cosworth

Ham and eggs. macaroni and cheese, chocolate and bacon (a new personal favorite!). Some things just naturally go together. Such is the case for Lotus and Cosworth. In 1967 when Keith Duckworth, Mike Costin and Ford got together to create the DFV Formula One engine, Lotus was the first team to install it in a car. Ultimately, the DFV won 12 world drivers championships and 10 F1 constructors titles.

If you were one of the thousands of fans who surfed over to Virgin Racing's website the other day expecting to watch the live reveal of the team's very first Formula One car, you were likely disappointed. Technical glitches prevented the webcast from going live on schedule, but we'll chalk the silicon snafu up to opening night jitters. That's understandable, though, because Virgin Racing is one of several new teams that started from scratch this year to join the F1 grid.

Lotus F1 Racing wind-tunnel model - Click above for high-res gallery

It's been fifteen years since Lotus last competed in Formula One, but that dry spell is about to come to an end as the British engineering firm and sportscar maker is set to join the grid once again for next season as one of four new teams in the series. Preparations appear to be going full-steam ahead, and Lotus F1 Racing (as the team will officially be known) has released a pair of images depicting a full-scale wind-tunnel model of the car they'll be running next year.

Remember when F1 teams were independent racing outfits, before the major automakers starting buying them all up? Well, if the Honda/Brawn GP saga and the tightening of budgets at carmaker headquarters around the world are anything to go by, the Formula One world could be back at that stage sooner than you might think. But the next team to bridge that divide will be the nascent USF1 team that's scheduled to join the grid next year. Going the independent route, USF1 is reportedly seriously considering forgoing an engine deal with any of the major manufacturers (Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Renault, Ferrari) currently in the sport in favor of a partnership with Cosworth.

Honda's departure from Formula One came down to a singular factor: cost. The amount of cash required to campaign a team (or two) in the top tier of open-wheel motorsports has been on an upwards trajectory for as long as we can remember, and combined with the current economic downturn, it was just a matter of time before a manufacturer questioned whether or not it was worth the expense. That's a tough pill for enthusiasts to swallow considering all the knowledge gleaned from F1 -- not to mention WRC.

Here's the four wheeled bearded lady of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, courtesy of Kahn Design and (God help us) Cosworth. To us, spending tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle, then affixing a bodykit to it that would make an '88 Grand Am sneer seems a bit nonsensical. Then again, being of means doesn't always translate into having sense. As if that wasn't enough, even Cosworth hasn't coaxed much out of this abomination. The 3.6-liter diesel V8 gets an extra 30 horsepower, for an even 300. We're not likely to see that powertrain in US-bound Range Rovers any time soon, but it'd be a lot easier to stomach if it were wrapped in the Sport's sheetmetal. We can only hope that this kit isn't glued on that well - from the looks of that front bumper, it's not - and we're guessing that it ends up as tire fodder on the Earl's driveway.

Until the Mazdaspeed version of the MX-5 makes its debut, those of us looking for forced-induction power from Mazda's NC Miata must turn to the aftermarket. Of all the tuning firms looking to turbo- or supercharge the new MX-5, Cosworth has both the reputation and technological prowess to pull it off sans drama.

The fallout from the Indy Car/Champ Car merger has begun to rear its ugly head. First, superpower team Forsythe Racing announced its departure from the scene. and now Champ Car has officially filed for bankruptcy. The disruption of the scheduled 2008 Champ Car season leaves contracts broken and bills to pay, but no event revenue to balance the budget. Bankruptcy court papers reveal that the dying series has a multitude of creditors knocking on its door.