Stig Blomqvist, Audi Quattro and the Jännerrallye

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of his WRC title triumph Stig Blomqvist will drive an Audi Quattro (similar is spec to those used in the 1984 WRC rally season) as the course-opening zero car on the 2014 Jännerrallye. Stig and co-driver Robert Jakobsson finished the 2013 event 12th overall in a Mitsubishi Evo and the Swedish duo are expected to put on a dramatic display for fans attending the first round of the 2014 FIA European Rally Championship (http://www.fiaerc.com/) between the 3rd and 5th of January.

The International Jännerrallye (Austria) has close ties with the Quattro, in 1981 Franz Wittmann gave Audi's Quattro its competition debut on the event, winning by more than 20 minutes! That moment revolutionised the world of rallying forever, four-wheel-drive has dominated rallying ever since.

Event organisers (Rallye Club Mühlviertel) are holding a prize draw for the opportunity to join Blomqvist for a passenger ride during the pre-event shakedown near Freistadt on 3 January - more details on the event website: http://www.jaennerrallye.at/de/home.html

Stig Blomqvist & Robert Jakobsson Int. Jännerrally 2013

Excellent result for PCRSport Mini

The two-wheel drive champions of the Spainish Off-Road championship, Nil Solans and  Miguel Ibañez, made a spectacular debut in the PCRSport Mini Cooper on the Riolobos Rally.

The final round of the Spanish championship consisted of 8 stages over fast, rough and demanding tracks totalling 333 kms of competitive driving. Despite having no experience in the PCRSport Mini Cooper both Solans and Ibañez were looking forward to tackling the event, confident they could grind a good result out on the dusty terrain. 

Their confidence proved to be well placed, the duo finishing a close second to overall winners Xevi Pons and Xavi Amigo (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X). After some excellent stage times (including two scratch times) the duo were a mere 2 minutes 15 seconds behind the event winners and a creditable 3 minutes 49 seconds in front of the third place pairing of Vera and Lopez in another Evo X.

PCRSport's Pep Codinach was very impressed with Nil Solans debut driving the team's specially developed Mini Cooper "Undoubtedly Nil's performance and result can only be classified as excellent. Without having tested the car Nil achieved two scratch stage times and secured 2nd overall, undoubtedly this was a great result for Nil and Miguel as well as all of our PCRSport team. Once again our Mini has proved to be a very competitive car"

All change! Bavarian re-brand time.....

 
BMW continues to re-brand the more prestige/glamorous versions of the 3 Series range as the new 4 Series (nicely demonstrated at Tokyo by the 4 Series Cabriolet) whilst continuing to offer the more mundane and practical models under their current 3 Series badging. Next up for the re-branding treatment is the 1 Series, with (once again) the more prestige 1 Series models being re-christened as 2 Series models whilst the bread-and-butter versions remain as 1 Series models.

BMW 4 Series Cabriolet

The BMW 4 Series Cabriolet got its world premiere at the Tokyo Motorshow. The 4 Series Cabriolet is a replacement for the open-top 3 Series. The BMW 4 Series cabrio is already in production and is set to go on sale next March, initially as petrol powered 428i and 435i versions along with a diesel 420d version. Further engines will be added to the range as the production run continues.

The emphasis with the new car (4 Series Cabriolet) was greater acoustic comfort in the cabin and improved accessibility for loading - especially over the out-going 3 Series Cabriolet. To that end the three-piece retractable hard top has a noise-absorbing roof liner which is designed to lower sound levels in the rear of the cabin by two decibels and make normal conversation possible at speeds of 100mph. There is also a new design of wind break which improves the comfort of occupants once the BMW 4 Series Cabriolet is being driven roof stored away. BMW's new compact convertible now has a load assistance switch which raises the rear of the hard top when the car is closed to make it easier to through-load into the cabin, ensuring practicality remains a key feature of the 4 Series Cabriolet.

Car of the Year - Japan

Volkswagen's Golf has been named 'Car of the Year 2013/14' in Japan thus, for the first time in the 34-year history of this prestigious award, a foreign (non-Japanese) car has beaten the local (Japanese) competition.

Particularly impressive was the score awarded by the 60-strong jury to the latest generation of VW's Golf: 504 out of a possible 600 points - a record for an imported car and a lead of 131 points over the second-placed vehicle and 337 points over the car in third!

Book review: Return to Glory! – The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Racing Car

1952 was one of the most important years in Mercedes-Benz racing history; after a 13-year absence, the marque returned to motor sport competition with an automobile that rewrote the history of modern sports car racing. The 300 SL's debut was the culmination of a long, difficult road back to racing for Mercedes-Benz. This book (limited to just 1500 copies worldwide) vividly depicts the 300 SL's performance in the five races in which it competed in 1952, and tells the story of how it became the most successful competition sports car of that year.

Through dramatic photographs, and equally stirring text, one of the greatest years of sports car racing is brought to life, filled with automobiles often finished in national racing colours, prepared by great factory teams, driven by men who were national sporting idols, and raced under gruelling conditions unique to the age.

From its Mille Miglia debut, through the Nürburgring (the first Mercedes-Benz victory at Le Mans), the Le Mans 24 Hours, to its greatest race, the Carrera Panamericana (highlighting the climactic Mercedes-Ferrari battle), the 300 SL's career from conception |(including design and development) to retirement is presented, culminating with a detailed photographic essay illustrating restoration of the oldest 300 SL in existence. The books reveals Alfred Neubauer's world-class leadership and strategy skills, provides details of Fangio's first race for Mercedes-Benz and is a treasure trove of evocative historic photographs with informative captions.

Return to Glory! by Robert Ackerson
ISBN: 9781845846176UPC: 6-36847-04617-0

Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG

 

The new Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG uses twelve cylinders, 5980ccm and two turbochargers to produce 630 bhp and 1000 Newton-metres of torque - making it the most powerful vehicle in its market segment. It reaches 62 mph in 4.3 seconds, gliding effortlessly to a governed 155 mph.

Despite this impressive engine performance the S 65 AMG offers improved fuel economy over the out-going V221 model as well as complying fully with Euro 6 exhaust emissions requirements, it even comes with a Start/Stop function for those really wanting to feel eco-friendly.

The hand-built V12 AMG engine is mated to a new 7 speed AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox which has dramatically improved the performance of the S 65 in all conditions - this includes a greater emphasis on fuel economy especially when the transmission is place into C (Controlled Efficiency) mode - there are also Sport (S) and Manual (M) modes which focus more on power and speed than outright efficiency.

In order to handle the performance offered by the 630 bhp engine the S 65 uses the most modern suspension system currently available; using Magic Body Control  and a stereo camera the AMG is actually able to recognise road surface undulations and changes in advance and alter the suspension settings accordingly, prior to actually driving on the changes in surface.

As with every S 65 technological advancementsAMG are to the fore - this time two new innovations make their debut in the S 65 : the head-up display and the Touchpad. The head-up display projects important information such as vehicle speed, speed limits, navigation information, traffic signs and information from Distronic Plus onto the windscreen - appearing to float on the bonnet around two metres in front of the driver. The new, innovative Mercedes-Benz Touchpad makes it significantly easier to operate the radio, telephone and navigation system. Unlike in conventional systems, the touch pad makes it possible to operate all infotainment functions. The touch pad is controlled in the same way as a smart phone or tablet PC: it can recognise one- and two-finger gestures, swipe gestures and zoom gestures through intuitive widening and narrowing of the fingers. It is also possible to enter letters, numbers and special characters using handwriting, as an alternative to the touch pad, the driver can also use the Comand controller and Linguatronic for the control of radio, telephone and navigation system.

Volkswagen Twin Up!

The Volkswagen twin up! concept car is a hybrid version of VW's ever popular city car and uses an 800ccm two-cylinder turbo-diesel engine in conjunction with a 27 kW electric motor and seven-speed DSG gearbox to provide ultimate city car economy. The twin up! is able to reach a combined fuel consumption figure of 256.8 mpg.

The twin up! diesel and electric drivetrain is a version of the that found in the pioneering XL1. A decoupling clutch between the diesel and electric motors allows the electric motor to operate independently.  Provided that there is sufficient battery charge, the driver can press the e-mode button for emissions-free driving. On electric power alone the twin up! can operate at speeds of 77 mph, and accelerate from zero to 37 mph in 8.8 seconds. The range on batteries alone is up to 31 miles. When braking, the electric motor acts as a generator, and the braking energy is used to charge the battery, under appropriate conditions the TDI engine can be used to charge the battery too.

The twin up!'s diesel engine and electric motor each produce up to 35 kW, while the maximum system power output of the twin up!'s front-mounted drivetrain is 55 kW. Using diesel and electric motors together, the car can accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 15.7 seconds, and on to a top speed of 87 mph. Combined torque peaks at 215 Nm. All this combined with good aerodynamics (0.30 Cd), a low unladen weight (1,205 kg) despite the addition of the lithium-ion batteries and 165/65 R15 tyres optimised for low rolling resistance all help to maximise the twin up!'s efficiency, and to achieve the 256.8 mpg combined fuel consumption figure and 27 g/km CO₂ emissions.

Mini at Monza

Motorsport Italia’s 2013 rallying season came to an end at the recent Monza Rally Show, their MINI John Cooper Works WRC driven by Mario Stagni and co-driver Laura Rovagnati. The pair finishing in the top ten in the WRC 1.6t class on Saturday evening and then claiming ninth overall in the invite only Master Show on Sunday.

Motorsport Italia were using the 01C evolution of the MINI WRC which proved it's worth with such a competitive display in both events. With plans for the 2014 season already in hand the Monza show proved a perfect end to their activities for 2013, especially in front of a home (Italian) crowd.

Feature car - Kurt Hertsens' Golf GTI G60

Here’s our first feature car, we’re hoping you like it as much as we do!

 
Kurt Hertsens is the very lucky owner of this Volkswagen Golf mark 2 GTI G60. Originally sold in The Netherlands in 1990 Kurt’s Golf is a genuine G60 making it a reasonably rare car. Once in Belgium and in the care of Kurt this mark 2 Golf underwent an extensive range of subtle modifications, all of which encompass the OEM+ ideal but done well before the OEM+ look had even become that popular.


The engine benefited from some attention, the 1800 8 valve now producing a healthy 200+bhp thanks to a new camshaft, a new chip and a smaller pulley. A Mocal thermostatic oil cooler helps the engine cope with the extra demands created by the power increase whilst some extra detailing ensures a concours finish to the engine bay.

To cope with the extra power and speed generated Kurt opted for a complete set of adjustable AP coilovers as well as improved brake callipers, pads, discs and braided hoses - a front strut brace keeps the struts nice and tight. Whilst altering all the brakes and suspension Kurt also opted to convert his Golf from the original 4x100 stud pattern to the later 5x100 pattern, removing the need for spacers or adaptors. Kurt also switched away from the Porsche 17” BBS Rennsport wheels he had fitted originally (using adaptors) to a brand new, special order set of 7½x17” Compomotive TH2s (ET32 front and ET22 rear). Wrapped in 185/35R17 tyres the wheels really compliment the car’s styling as well as adding to the poise and enhance the stiff, race-car like handling of the G60.

 Having ensured his Golf now goes, stops and corners as he would like Kurt turned his attention to the exterior and interior of the car. The Golf retains all the original Volkswagen badges and is still painted in the original Royal Blue colour as it was when it left the factory. In keeping with the OEM+ look the door handles have been replaced by Porsche 944 Turbo versions and the front fog lights are now yellow rather than white, very subtle we think you’ll agree.

The interior is once again an example of OEM+ at its best, the front seats are electric Recaros re-trimmed in Golf mark 6 chequer material and leather. The original BBS steering wheel benefits from some mark 6 chequer material and a custom fabricated aluminium centre. Audi TT pedals add a touch more aluminium to the interior whilst OE style VDO gauges in the centre console provide all the information Kurt needs to fully enjoy the performance of his Golf.

Kurt is very pleased with the his car and rightly so, it embraces everything that is good about the G60 and improves it subtly making this Belgian Golf one of the nicest everyday OEM+ spec cars we’ve seen.

Thanks to Kurt for all his help and the photographs, if you fancy getting your car featured just let us know!

Wales Rally GB - day 3

Volkswagen Motorsport teams still dominate the final round of the World Rally Championship (Wales Rally GB) with Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia leading by a of 20.1 seconds over second place despite not having set a  fastest stage time all day.

Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila remain 2nd overall once again showing complete commitment behind the wheel of their Volkswagen Polo R WRC. Jari-Matti Latvala has seen his lead over 3rd reduce slightly despite setting three fastest stage times.

Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula staged an impressive charge through the early stages if day three setting two impressive fastest stages times and moving up the leaderboard from 6th to 4th overall. The duo are now just 20 seconds off the bottom podium step with 6 tricky and slippery Welsh stages remaining.

The remaining stages of day 4 are slightly shorter than those of day three but are expected to pose no less of a challenge, even the final 4.58 tarmac Great Orme stage can ruin the rally of the unwary (Ogier has crashed out there once before).

1.		S Ogier
2.		J-M Latvala
3.		T Neuville
4.		A Mikkelsen
5.		M Østberg
6.		M Prokop
7.		D Sordo
8.		E Evans
9.		J Ketomaa
10.		M Higgins