The recent launch of Ferrari’s F150 challenger marks the unofficial beginning of the 2011 Formula One season. So, for a quick reminder of the immediate season past, take the jump to watch an excellent highlights clip which celebrates the sport’s 60th anniversary year.
It’s a very entertaining piece of footage and is the perfect complement to our 2010 pictorial season review.
The famous Eau Rouge corner at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack has excited race fans for generations. Here this video comparison shows the speed differential between Formula One cars and the machines of mere mortals.
There’s some debate over what the other cars actually are. The YouTube clip describes them as FIA GT cars, but we’re not sure if that’s the case. There’s even debate over the accuracy of the speed shown by the F1 cars? Has it been sped up; who knows?
Whatever the case may be, this is still an entertaining clip. After all the majesty of an F1 car through Eau Rouge at full pace is something to behold.
[Thanks to Richard for the tip]
Adrian Newey is shown here talking about his Red Bull X1. It’s an imaginary racer created for Sony Playstation hero game Gran Turismo 5. The brief to Newey was build the fastest car you possibly can, with only the laws of physics to provide the boundaries. No limits on downforce, no limits on engine type or any other rules to follow.
Of course, Newey came up with 3.0 litre V6 engine. Boosted by two turbos and with a 15,000 redline, the X1’s alleged power is over 1100kW (1483hp). It’s allegedly bloody quick, too. How does 0-200km/h in around 3 seconds sound? Or a 450km/h top speed.
In theory the X1 would only exist in the virtual world. However, for promotional purposes the Red Bull team created a life-size version of the car.
Check out the clip after the break. And, to prove how absurd this whole made up this thing really is you can also watch a clip from GT5 showing the X1 doing a sub 3:30 lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
There’s not really much that can be added in written form about the two videos included here. Both focus on the halcyon days of rallying, the Group B era (1982–86).
The first clip runs for seven minutes and includes some super slo-mo footage perfectly complemented by a dramatic music score. The second is for the real enthusiasts and runs for 11 minutes. It features the sound of the Group B cars in all their high-revving glory. You might want to flick the volume to 11 for that one.
You may remember the video we featured last year “This is rallying”, these two clips have been compiled by the same guy. Nice work, hey!
[via Autoblog | Thanks to Richard for the tip]
Here’s a wonderful YouTube discovery, an official documentary showcasing the production of the Porsche 356. Which, in the opinion of AUSmotive, is one of the most beautiful pieces of automotive designs ever produced.
According to the YouTube caption the doco was filmed at Zuffenhausen in the early 1960s. The Super 90 engine is discussed and putting all those things together suggests these are 356Bs that are being built.
The film has been split into five parts and runs for around 40 minutes. However it is well worth the investment in time to watch all the clips. If you do you will be rewarded with some fascinating footage of old skool production techniques.
Porsche employed a stringent quality control regime and seeing how laborious that was is a real eye opener. In today’s era of highly automated production manual checking like that would not be cost effective. The three-man transmission installation technique shown in Part 4 is also, thankfully, a technique now consigned to the history books.
If you want to see and hear what happens when you stick a 388hp V8 into a shopping trolley then here’s the video for you. The Mercedes-Benz B55 one-off creation is one mum’s car you could take to the Summernats and actually gain some genuine street cred!
So, the B55 can do tricks in a straight line, but can it go around corners with any degree of competence? Maybe with rents for testing days at the Nürburgring heading for a 500% increase Mercedes might not be so keen to find out!
[via Autoblog]
You might remember last year we had some footage of Ken Block and Chris Atkinson living it large in an old skool Mk2 Ford Escort. Well, some new footage filmed around the same time has just been released. It’s waiting for you after the break. And, if your name is Tom, you may want to slip into something more comfortable first.
No fronts, no tricks…
[via Autoblog]
On the weekend Ken Block and his mates were living it up at the Gymkhana Grid invitational. The event even carried the name of the internet’s Sultan of Sideways. Promising to be a donut, rubber-burning fuelled festival of spin where “your mind will be blown the f@#! away” it looks like the lads had fun.
After the break you can see the promo clip advertising the event, followed by footage of the final race showing Ken Block and Tanner Foust ripping it up in a pair of Ford Fiestas.
[Thanks to Saad for the tip]
From time to time we feature videos from car mags that bring us closer to the cars we love, or hope to love. Usually they’re pretty straight laced, informative and good, honest viewing. This clip from Car and Driver, though, breaks the mould. It’s the Mecrdes-Benz SLS AMG as you’ve never seen it before. You will love it!
US comedian Go Remy brings us some car-related tunes—Saudis in Audis. Put your political correctness aside for two minutes and forty-seven seconds and enjoy the ride…
Jeremy Clarkson is about to release his latest solo DVD. It’s called The Italian Job and ever the commercialist you can watch a preview below. It looks pretty good, too. Despite the title, it’s not all Italian cars, either, as his V8 Atom inspired spinnaker-face shows.
[via Motorcentral]
As previewed earlier in the month Ken Block is back. The location for his latest rubber burning escapade? L’autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in France. Why there? Perhaps the 51° banked corners had a fair bit to do with it.
Sit back, turn up the volume and enjoy as Kenny rips his Ford Fiesta to shreds. Quite literally.
[Thanks to Todd for the tip]