Author: Liam

Categories
Formula 1 Motor Shows

Williams F1 celebrates 40 years at Goodwood FoS

This year marks Sir Frank Williams‘ 40th year in Formula One. In celebration of this remarkable achievement the AT&T Williams F1 team will be sending 13 cars to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

Current drivers Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima will be on hand at the wheel of the FW29 from a couple of seasons ago. Also making an appearance will be past Williams F1 World Champion drivers Damon Hill (1996) and Alan Jones (1980), along with former racers David Coulthard and Jacques Laffite.

Jones’ 1980 title winning FW08 will also blow off the cobwebs on the famous Goodwood hill climb course.

The clip above features interviews with Sir Frank, Patrick Head, Rosberg, Nakajima and others. More after the break.

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News

Stairway to heaven

McLaren F1 GTR

I reckon at the top of the stairway to heaven this would be one of the cars in the garage. The car in question, of course, is a McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’. Just 10 were made for competition in the 1997 FIA GT season and the example pictured above could be yours. That’s right, even before you get to heaven.

I can’t read Japanese, but I’m guessing the website advertising this motoring royalty is saying “konichiwa, if sir has to ask, then sir can’t afford it”, or something like that. Ooh, it makes me wonder.

I’m not sure about you, but I didn’t win the $90M lotto draw, so I won’t be buying my stairway to heaven just yet.

[Source: Top Gear]

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Categories
Formula 1

Mad Max 2

Max Mosley

Formula One is living up to its billing as a real life Bold and the Beautiful with last week’s peace deal already looking dodgy. Apparently Max Mosley didn’t like being referred to as a ‘dictator’ by FOTA President, Luca di Montezemolo, and is considering going back on his plan to leave his role as FIA President in October.

Mad Max also reckons FOTA have been making misleading comments to the media about his leadership style and the reasons behind his departure. With his ego damaged Mosley got a bit red in the face and rushed off to write a letter to di Montezemolo which made his thoughts very clear, “If you wish the agreement we made to have any chance of survival, you must rectify your actions.”

Mosley continued in the letter, which was leaked to the media (ironically), “Given your and FOTA’s deliberate attempt to mislead the media, I now consider my options open. At least until October, I am president of the FIA with the full authority of that office.

“After that it is the FIA member clubs, not you or FOTA, who will decide on the future leadership of the FIA.” So there!

Looks like there is going to be plenty more puzzled stares to camera between now and October.

[Source: BBC | Thanks to Dylan for the tip]

Categories
Formula 1

Webber attends SBK then says ‘try the veal’

Mark Webber at SBK

Mark Webber spent last weekend watching the SBK round at Donington. While he was there he made a few wise cracks for the crew at Jalopnik. The above image was captioned by Webber with the following:

“Is that down under macho enough or shall I grab the girl in green with the umbrella?”

There’s plenty more where that came from as well. Maybe Mark can supplement his income with a few comedy gigs at Queanbeyan Leagues club during the off season.

At least Webber now has the luxury of cracking jokes at his own leisure, rather than driving one. Fingers crossed his maiden GP win is not too far away.

[Source: Jalopnik | Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images | Thanks to Dave for the tip]

Categories
Volkswagen

Who says the Germans don’t have a sense of humour

Following the news of Volkswagen’s recent prestigious Advertiser of the Year award I thought it was worth giving this YouTube clip an article of its own.

This is the “Horst Schlämmer Quest” campaign, a viral marketing series that created a storm for Volkswagen AG in 2007. Created by Tribal DDB Hamburg the campaign won Best in Show at 2008 Caples Awards.

The five minute clip above talks us through the campaign and gives a good insight into the success attainable by clever viral ideas that cut through into mainstream media.

Categories
Citroen Motor Shows

GTbyCITROËN to make Goodwood FoS appearance

GT by CITROEN in London

In yet another case of art imitating life, or in this case life imitating art, the GTbyCITROËN will be on show at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

This crazy, angular looking behemoth was originally created for the latest iteration of Sony’s iconic PlayStation game, Gran Turismo 5. Now, Citroën’s latest GT has come to life as this recent appearance on the streets of London shows.

In addition, the GTbyCITROËN is scheduled to make five runs up the famous Goodwood hill climb course during the event, with the first run planned for Friday morning (UK time).

Five-time FIA World Rally Champion, Sébastien Loeb, will also be on show attacking the hill climb in his C4 WRC on Saturday morning. Along with Dani Sordo, Loeb will also make a number of runs through the purpose-built Forest Rally Stage.

Check out a video of the GTbyCITROËN roaming the streets of London, in reality and in fiction, after the jump.

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Categories
Citroen

2010 Citroën C3 – due in Australia mid next year

2010 Citroen C3

Holy massive glass windscreen Batman! Take a look at it will you, it’s ridiculous. Not necessarily in a bad way, but ridiculous nonetheless.

Australian readers will have to wait until mid 2010 to judge for themselves, but right now you have to congratulate Citroën for honouring their roots and taking a hatchet to accepted car design wisdom. The obscenely large “Zenith” screen opens the field of view by an extra 80° to front seat occupants.

The compact class hatch is just 3.94m long and a narrow, but not tiny, 1.71m wide. Coupled with a relatively small turning circle the car will find its place in tight city streets. How very Parisian.

The car will launch in Europe this November and will enter the market with a bunch of electronic trickery and smart interior appointments. Initially, the C3 will be powered by a diesel four cylinder emitting less than 100g/km of CO2.

More detail closer to launch.

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Categories
Audi

Audi R8 V10 mystery mule

Audi R8 V10 mystery mule

Recently spotted on the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife was this Audi R8 V10. Okay, it looks normal enough, but what should we make of those front winglets? Not to mention the large fixed rear wing. Could there be an even more powerful, more willing R8 in the pipeline?

I hope so!

[Source: Spyshots.nl via Fourtitude]

Categories
Aston Martin Toyota

Ugly duckling?

Aston Martin Cygnet concept

An Aston Martin that is a rebadged Toyota city car? Are you mad?! That’s precisely what this clay model Aston Martin Cygnet concept is—a rebadged and restyled Toyota iQ.

Has Aston Martin’s CEO Dr Ulrich Bez got the munchies, or is he genuinely on to a good idea here? Does a city runabout wearing an Aston badge make proper sense? Dr Bez seems to think so, “Now is the right time for Aston Martin to take this first bold step to embark on this special project – made possible with the support of an organisation of Toyota’s stature and capability and the intelligent design and perfect city car package of the iQ.”

There’s not a lot of detail on offer, other than to say it appears as if the Cygnet could be used as a lure to attract buyers of Aston’s more desirable sports car models. According to Dr Bez, “The offering of a ‘Cygnet’ with a DBS, DB9 or Vantage is a unique combination of opposites and a novel transport solution allowing intelligent and sensitive mobility on an exclusive and innovative level.”

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Audi

A couple of Audi R8 V10 clips

Autocar drives the R8 V10

These clips of the Audi R8 5.2 being thrashed about are a few months old now. Where have I been! You may have already seen them, if you haven’t take the jump and enjoy the magic.

After driving the R8 4.2 last year I felt the car could handle more power. And that’s exactly what the 5.2 FSI V10 has given the R8 chassis. Power is up over 100bhp from the V8 and the V10 exhaust note is no less inspiring, either.

So, on paper Audi looks to have made a winner. What do those that have driven the car reckon? The first clip is from Autocar, the second from Dutch title Autoweek—it’s okay there are English subtitles. Enjoy…

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Categories
Video

Watch Steve McQueen race Lewis Hamilton

The Duel - McQueen v Hamilton - TAG Heuer Monaco

Watchmaker TAG Heuer has created this spliced video featuring Steve McQueen and Lewis Hamilton to promote its new Monaco 360 LS range. Titled “The Duel” the ad centres around footage from the 1971 film Le Mans, in which McQueen wore an original TAG Monaco.

It’s cheesy, it’s a bit naff, but the watches are tres cool. I think I prefer the original. What about you?

The ad can be viewed after the jump.

[Source: Watch Happening via Fourtitude]

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Categories
Volkswagen

Volkswagen picks up major advertising gong in Cannes

Volkswagen - 2009 Advertiser of the Year

At the recent Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival Volkswagen was named “Advertiser of the Year”. From the Cannes Lions press release Volkswagen was awarded the gong for “their continued inspiring and innovative marketing”.

The “Advertiser of the Year” is a special award that sits outside of the regular categories and is the highest honour in the advertising industry.

Volkswagen has been making its mark in the automotive advertising world for years, with the “Think Small” campaign (shown above) turning the genre, literally, on its head. The “Singing Dog” commercial was awarded Car Ad of the Year in an online poll last year. And “The Fight” has certainly attracted its fair share of attention in recent months.

More ad samples, print and TVCs, can be seen after the jump.

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