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Formula 1 News Red Bull Racing

London calling

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing, London, 2010

Red Bull Racing and Mark Webber stunned London commuters early yesterday morning when they took to the streets in a Formula One car. The 6am stunt was part of promotions building up to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 11 July.

Speaking after his morning commute in the 2009 RB5 racecar Webber said, “Obviously, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity – it’s not every day you get to see the sights of London from an F1 car. This year has once again thrown up some interesting rule changes so any practice the team can get is going to make a difference, no matter where it is.”

I wonder, is a Formula One car exempt from the London congestion charge?

You can see a couple of videos after the jump showing Mark mixing it up with London’s early morning traffic. An interview with Webber is also available on the Red Bull website.

[Source: Red Bull Racing]

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BMW

BMW Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo

BMW Alpina B5 bi-turbo

Images of the BMW Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo have been published and here’s a few for you to look at. Based on the F10 5 Series, the Alpina hot rod is currently on show at the Goodwood Moving Motor Show.

Billed as an M5 rival the Alpina B5 is powered by a 4.4 litre V8 twin-turbo. With headline numbers of 500hp and 700Nm Alpina reckon the B5 can reach 100km/h in 4.7 seconds. Alpina has defied the latest craze of dual-clutch transmissions and fitted the B5 with an uprated 8-speed ZF auto box.

[Source: Autocar]

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Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG at the 2010 Goodwood FoS

Mercedes SLS AMG @ Goodwood FoS

The action is well underway at Goodwood and here’s another clip bringing you a step closer. It features the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG ‘Gullwing’. There’s a mix of in car action and outside footage as the car rips its way up the famous Goodwood hillclimb course.

You can see the clip after the break, and there’s a bonus clip available as well.

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Motor Shows Porsche

Porsche at the 2010 Goodwood FoS

Porsche @ 2010 Goodwood FoS

Porsche have released a couple of videos giving an insight into their presence at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed which is currently underway.

Further you can keep up to date via the Porsche UK website.

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Porsche

New Porsche 911 GT2 RS promo

Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Here’s a new clip direct from Porsche featuring the 620hp 911 GT2 RS powersliding around a track. What’s not to like about that!

Hit it after the break.

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MINI Challenge

MINI Challenge locks in Gold Coast 600

MINI Challenge, Melbourne

Last month confirmation came through that the MINI Challenge has been locked in as a support category for the Armor All Gold Coast 600 to be held in October.

With no open wheelers from Indy Car or the scuppered A1GP categories the Gold Coast event offers an all Australian cast. Organisers have modified the well known street circuit reducing it from 4.7km in length down to 2.96km.

Ted Toleman, MINI Challenge Category Manager, says, “The new circuit and great entertainment planned by V8 Supercars is going to make for a fantastic show in October and the category is pleased to be able to support one of the country’s most iconic races.

“We have seen some thrilling MINI Challenge action this year as the category continues to grow and I’m sure the same exciting racing will be on offer when we head to the streets of Surfers Paradise.”

Full press release after the break. The MINI Challenge returns to on track action next weekend for the Dunlop Townsville 400.

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Motorsports Porsche

Behind the scenes with the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid

Porsche GT3 R Hybrid

Here is a real treat for you, Autocar have just posted a video of Steve Sutcliffe driving the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid. This is the same car that very nearly won the demanding Nürburgring 24 hour race at its first attempt.

In his written review Sutcliffe says driving the GT3 R Hybrid is, “Quite spooky, incredibly efficient but also just very, very exciting to use. When you press the magic button for the first time it actually feels a bit like a cheat, the rush of extra acceleration comes at you that fast. But when you get used to the way it works – the way it can alter not just your speed along a straight but also the handling balance mid corner even – the hybrid GT3 R is quite clearly a highly significant piece of kit; the beginning of a brand new era.”

Piers Ward from TopGear.com has also had a drive in the GT3 R Hybrid. Here’s a bit of what he had to say, “This thing is utterly brilliant. It’s not about chasing fuel figures or CO2, it’s about trying to maximise performance.

“By the end of three braking zones, the flywheel is fully re-charged. The weirdest part of the whole thing is the noise is makes as it’s getting charged up – like a hoover on speed, whirring away frantically.”

In closing his review Sutcliffe says, “hybrid power is not the future for companies like Porsche and cars like the 911, it is the present. Not so much the end of the road for high performance cars, but the beginning of a brand new chapter.

Take the jump to watch the Autocar clip.

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Volkswagen

Sport-Wheels puts more RRRRR into Golf

Sport Wheels Golf R

German tuning house Sport-Wheels have just announced a 330PS (242kW) kit for the Volkswagen Golf R. In Australian spec the R has 255PS (188kW); a power increase of almost 30% is nothing to sneeze at. Torque also gets a very tidy kick, from 330Nm up to 450Nm.

All it takes to ask the Golf R’s turbo to weave a bit more magic is an ECU reflash (€799/AU$1160) and a hand-made turbo-back exhaust system, including revised downpipe (€1950/AU$2850).

Should you desire that full boy racer look, as depicted above, you’ll need to tick the boxes for the KW suspension, as well as the 20″ OZ alloy wheels. For a bit of extra cash you can also get your Golf R wrapped in foil to make it look heaps sick. Or something like that.

If you would like more RRRRR for your Golf R here in Australia, then you might be eager to learn more about the plans the local APR distributor has for its Golf R. Currently the engine is out and is about to undergo a full Stage III transformation. When its all put back together again you can expect some big numbers from that car, too.

More pics after the break.

[Source: World Car Fans]

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Alfa Romeo Motor Shows

2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed

Alfa Romeo statue - Goodwood FoS

The annual Goodwood FoS kicks off tomorrow. Each year there is a centrepiece statue unveiled in front of the main building. This year, in honour of its 100 year anniversary, Alfa Romeo got the gig.

Somewhat amazingly the sculpture features an Alfa Romeo P2; there are only two of these cars in existence and their value is estimated at around AU$30 million. The car featured in the work was used to win the world’s first championship for grand prix cars back in 1925. It’s a pretty special car to have hanging off an oversized coathanger; don’t you think! Alongside the P2 is an otherwise common as muck 8C Competizione.

Alfa will be sending over 50 cars from its museum for the show, including the first UK showing of the new Giulietta.

To keep up to date with what’s happening in Lord March’s backyard keep an eye on the official FoS website. Twitterists are also catered for and Autocar also has some good info.

[Source: Autocar]

Categories
News

Zonda R for Ring record

Zonda R

News has come through from evo that the Zonda R has claimed a new Nürburgring Nordschleife lap “record”. A bit like the sub-7 minute time posted by the Ferrari 599XX, though, it’s hard to know where to pigeon hole the Zonda R as it’s not a road legal car. Maybe just stick it in the bleeding fast category then, because its reported time of 6 minutes 47 seconds is bloody quick.

Quicker than the Ferrari (6:58), of course, but also quicker than the Radical SR8LM (6:48). Marc Basseng, the man at the wheel of the Zonda R, reckons there is more time to be found, as well.

Video of the lap will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

[Source: evo | Pic: frozenspeed]

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Ferrari Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Renault

2010 European Grand Prix in pictures

2010 European GP

The European Grand Prix: Mark flipped out, Vettel won the race, the McLarens continued their challenge, Kobayashi dared to dream and Ferrari is still sulking inside the whaaaambulance drowning in their own tears. Meanwhile, news has just come in reporting the Mercedes GP duo have finally crossed the line. That pretty much sums up Valencia for 2010.

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Formula 1 McLaren

Fantasy garage

McLaren F1 fantasy garage

This latest video from McLaren provides goosebumps on the one hand, and is nauseating on the other. The banter between Lewis and Jenson is bearable; if only the section between 1:12 and 1:15 could be edited out, then this clip would be way more powerful.

It’s okay, we get it, McLaren is sponsored by Vodafone. There is no need to stuff things up by reminding us of that fact in such a way. But, we’re posting the clip, so I guess you could say the technique has worked.

Aside from that, some great memories come flooding back thanks to this video. Check it out below and see what you think. There’s an extra special treat if you do.

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