The Nissan GT-R, the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Audi R8 V10. Immensely capable and devastatingly quick cars, all. But does the quickest track car make the best road car? Do flappy paddle gearboxes still incur the wrath of reviewers like they once did? Does price matter?
Steve Sutcliffe from Autocar has been kind enough to take these three weapons to the 3km Castle Combe to find out. You can watch the clip after the jump.
For reasons unknown Volkswagen Media Services have loaded 18 new images of their stunning 195kW Scirocco R. There’s no press release, just the images you see here. But, who are we to argue. The rest of the images are after the jump. To view wallpaper friendly 2000px super images simply click on the pics you like and voila!
For more on the Scirocco R check out what the reviews are saying.
Good news for Golf nuts, LED rear lights can soon be yours. According to the release below they will soon be fitted as standard equipment on the Golf R. Buyers of the GTI and GTD models will also be able to option the LEDs, first seen on the Wörthersee GTI, for €350.
As well as looking good, the LED tails illuminate 0.2 seconds quicker than regular incandescent lights. According to Volkswagen’s boffins, at a speed of 100km/h this could mean saving over 5 metres in braking distance.
Also available are bi-xenon headlights with dynamic cornering light. Yeah, the lights take a sneak peak around corners for you. I’ve used a similar system in an Audi a year or two back and it can be a very useful feature. Although, mostly, you don’t really notice they’re doing anything different to conventional headlights. Will be interesting to see if this later generation has improved. Costing a hefty €1295, let’s hope so.
Australian availability of these items hasn’t been announced yet, but one would expect the changes to filter through sooner, rather than later.
Volkswagen and Suzuki have begun a bit of a love-in. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn probably explains it best, “Two of the world’s leading car makers are joining forces and preparing to meet the growing challenges that lie ahead. Together we can maximize our opportunities for growth. We are proud to be cooperating with such an esteemed and valued partner.”
In financial terms the partnership will see Volkswagen purchase 19.9% of Suzuki. In return, Suzuki will use up to half of the received funds to buy shares in Volkswagen. I’m sure that makes sense to greater financial minds than mine.
In production terms, well, nothing concrete is given away in the statement below, but expect the two companies to work together on producing cheap fuel efficient entry-level cars, with low CO2 emissions, for the developing world.
Two statements are available after the break, the first one from Suzuki, the second from Volkswagen.
More amateur YouTubery here. This time, though, the quality levels have been cranked up. Way past 11. The feature car is a 1989 Honda Civic Wagon with Real Time 4WD. But never mind that, just enjoy the clip. It’s truly great viewing, and very, very well put together. There’s also a making of clip after the jump.
[Source: WagonAttack.com]
The Schumacher F1 comeback rumours have been given new life overnight, with former F1 driver, TV presenter and twitterist, Tiff Needell, and F1 supremo Bernie Eccelstone both believing we could be about to see the second coming.
As you can see from the above graphic Tiff tweeted his thoughts at about 11pm last night Australian time. Tiff and Brawn were at the BRDC awards, where three Australians picked up some silverware.
Meanwhile, F1 rights holder Bernie Eccelstone has been widely quoted as saying, “I would personally doubt that he’s going to make a comeback but, having said that, it’s maybe getting a bit stronger than a rumour.”
The theory goes that if Schumacher doesn’t return to Formula One, then the empty seat at Mercedes GP will be filled by Nick Heidfeld. But Eccelstone has certainly made his view clear if Ross Brawn is faced with a choice between Heidfeld and the seven-time world champion, “Well, you’d have to pick Michael, wouldn’t you?” he said.
“There’s no discussion about that. It’s the obvious thing. Whether or not it’s going to happen, I don’t know. If I was Michael I wouldn’t do it, but I’m sure he knows he could get the job done.”
Volkswagen’s new one-tonne light commercial foray, the Amarok, is still a couple of months away from its official launch. However, James Stanford from Australian website GoAuto has been given some time behind the wheel of a pre-production model while in Argentina. Here’s a few of his initial thoughts:
“Volkswagen appears to have nailed its first attempt at a workhorse one-tonner ute.”
“It is a far more comfortable vehicle to operate than any other workhorse ute on the market today and also introduces new safety features to the class.”
“Its smaller and more efficient diesel engine is also a highlight.”
It wasn’t all beer and skittles though, with criticisms reserved for some equipment issues and several queries remaining that will need to be solved once the production models are released. Make sure you follow the link below to read the full article.
Of interest, too, is the news that the Amarok will also be available with a simple tray top, replacing the familar tub shown in the photos to date.
[Source: GoAuto]
The British Racing Drivers Club held their annual awards yesterday. Established to acknowledge the efforts of drivers from Commonwealth nations, there are several awards handed out at a lavish function with many motorsport greats usually in attendance.
Webber won two awards to go with his German and Brazilian Grand Prix victories. He was presented with the Innes Ireland Trophy, for the driver who best displayed the qualities of courage and sportsmanship, and the Bruce McLaren Trophy, which is presented for the most meritorious performances in international motorsport.
Other Australians honoured, included 2009 Le Mans winner David Brabham (Fairfield Trophy for an outstanding performance by a BRDC member) and 2009 British F3 Champion Daniel Ricciardo (Henry Surtees Award for an outstanding performance by a BRDC Rising Star).
MotoringFile brings us an early Christmas present with news the Roadster and Coupé concepts will be going into production as early as June next year.
According to the report pre-production models should start rolling off the line mid next year, with the first batch of customer production cars starting some time around October 2010. Should that news be correct Australian deliveries could be expected before the end of 2011.
The “twins”, as they’ve become known (see YouTube clips below), will be powered by the 155kW engine from the John Cooper Works. While most of the dimensions are the same as the existing hardtop model, the Roadster’s sleek roofline is 51mm lower.
Apparently, there’s more “big news” to come on the production front, so AUSmotive will be keeping an eye out for that.
[Source: MotoringFile]
A Hong Kong driver has put the F into fail after crashing his Pagani Zonda F, one of just 25 ever made. Supposedly the pwner was returning from a track day when he remembered Murray Walker’s immortal words “unless I’m very much mistaken”, at which point he was indeed mistaken as he proceeded to plough into a row of parked cars.
A moment’s silence, please, as we pay our respects to the great work of Horacio Pagani that has been senselessly wasted.
[Source: Wrecked Exotics]
Australian pricing for the Aston Martin Rapide—the car the whole family can love—has been announced. Priced between the DB9 and DBS the 2010 Rapide will kick off at $366,280 plus all those horrible on road charges and dealer delivery fees.
If you’ve a lazy $400K burning a hole in your pocket, then the good news for you is you should be able to get your grubby little mitts on a Rapide before the middle of next year, as Australian deliveries are expected in the second quarter of 2010.
When Sir parks his family’s new pride in his driveway he will be able to smile inside while remembering the words of Aston Martin’s CEO, and part-time racer, Dr Ulrich Bez, “Now there is an Aston Martin for every type of sports car customer regardless of the demands of their lifestyle.”
But, we all know Sir will really be thinking about how ably he is able to cater for all the needs of his family with 350kW at his disposal, courtesy of the familiar Aston 6.0 litre V12. Not to mention the peak torque figure of 600Nm. That’s a lot of Newton metres he is providing for his loved ones. Hasn’t he done well for himself.
Most importantly, though, Dr Bez once again, “With Rapide, the entire family can enjoy their Aston Martin together in unison, in an invigorating yet comfortable environment, sitting low, with plenty of visibility from every seat and with new levels of comfort, refinement and entertainment.”
As we all know, a family that sits low together is a family that stays together.
[Source: The Motor Report]
Hmm, someone is telling porkies. Well, at least, that appears to be the case following a new report from Motor Authority that says Audi’s new S1 will have a quattro drivetrain. Regular readers will remember last month’s report speculation from Auto Bild that the A1 platform, and the S1 with it, would be only available in a front-wheel drive configuration.
Now, though, we’re back to the quattro rumour. This is good. Even more good, if you’ll pardon the expression, is a repeat of the suggestion the all-wheel drive unit will be tuned for a 40:60 rear bias split.
Otherwise, the two reports agree on most everything else. That means the car will have a 1.4 litre engine offering between 140-150kW, thanks to a bit of forced induction. Torque is expected to be a healthy 250Nm, pushing the car along to 100km/h sprint time under six seconds. Amazingly, the little S1 may even wear 19″ shoes. I guess the car’s flared guards will help house such big feet if this guess work proves true.
Other developments reveal that Audi’s S range will begin to increase the visual differences over their donor models. This will be done with further use of aluminium inside the cabin. It has been said that Audi are likely to splash a bit carbon fibre about the place, as well.
[Source: Motor Authority]