paris-dakar babe !!

On Track: From Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup to Moto 3

As Red Bull Rookies, Arthur Sissis and Danny Kent had the best possible grounding for their careers as factory riders in the Moto3 World Championship. This film shows how both became stars of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup before stepping into Grand Prix racing and proving that they can make their mark against the world’s best.

Covering four years of competition, Kent and Sissis complete their Rookies apprenticeship and then move on to the World Championship. The pair are joined in the 2012 factory Red Bull KTM Moto3 team by the experienced German Sandro Cortese. It is a stellar year for the squad with Cortese taking the Moto3 World Championship and the young guns reveling in his inspiration.

Jaguar XF Sportbrake: The Scotch Whisky test

German estates might be assessed in terms of litres of luggage space – but in the case of their premium British equivalents, such as the new Jaguar XF Sportbrake, different standards apply. Approximately how many boxes of Tullibardine whisky can you fit in one car? Mathias Paulokat heads to Scotland to find out. 

It’s a competitive business, this luggage capacity, with the three top dogs from Audi, BMW and Mercedes trying to outdo each other on every last cc of bootspace. Taking on such Teutonic dominance – in the luxury estate sector, of all places – is not so much brave, as heroic.
But for those who find the Mercedes E-Class too conservative, perhaps, and the BMW 5 Series Touring and Audi A6 just a little too brash, well, now there’s the Jaguar XF Sportbrake. And Jaguar reckons that this model has the potential to become a big-volume seller. Well, here we are, up in Scotland to test this claim for ourselves. Will the Sportbrake earn its spurs? We started Edinburgh, whence the somewhat antiquated on-board navigation guided us unerringly south – to Floors Castle in Kelso.


Once there, we considered the figures: by folding the rear seats, the Sportbrake offers up to 1675 litres of loading space – not bad. Only the Mercedes has the ability to swallow more, and our British contender is arguably more elegant; definitely one of the better-looking shooting brakes/ large-capacity vans (depending on how you see them). Only the diesel-engined models are available, in 2.2- and 3.0-litre capacities, the latter a turbocharged V6 that comes as either a 240PS Diesel or a 275PS Diesel S derivative. Each emits 163g/km of CO2 and returns 46mpg on the Combined cycle.
Completely sober still, of course, it’s time for some driving impressions. Here, the four-cylinder 2.2-litre engine (we had the more powerful 200PS version, with its 450Nm of torque – so not quite the entry-level model, but still…) impressed us with its willingness to pick up the revs, and claims to speed the occupants from rest to 62mph in a mere 8.8 seconds. Though it probably took a little longer with all that whisky on board.


But enough of the number-crunching. Stylistically, the Sportbrake undeniably scores plenty of points. At the front, anyway. We’re less sure about the side view. But never mind all that – it’s the back that interests us most at the moment, since we have 25 boxes of Tullibardine single malt to stack in that capacious luggage area. True, that equates to only (only?!) 105 litres of the golden liquid, but we discovered to our joy that we could stack all 25 boxes in our XF Sportbrake in less than three minutes. Which is lucky, because there are 100 official whisky distilleries in Scotland.


Even better in terms of performance and refinement is the six-cylinder diesel: especially the Diesel S, with its 6.6-seconds to 62mph performance. More important still is the harmonious interaction of powertrain, chassis and assistance systems. Even the sound is right. Fuel consumption is claimed to be a startlingly good (considering the performance) 46mpg, while an OTR price of £44,355 to £51,505 (for Diesel S versions in various trims) is even more reason to celebrate.

All models boast factory-fitted self-levelling air suspension at the rear axle, keeping that whisky good and settled, and the standard eight-speed automatic transmission avoids shaking it up as we pick up speed along hilly Scottish roads. Oh, and the second row of seats offers 48mm more headroom than you get in the saloon. As I said earlier, you can squeeze a lot into it. Even when you’re just carrying people.
Text: Mathias Paulokat from Classicdriver.com
Photos: Mark Fagelson

RAG VINTAGE:PARIS

RAG HAS ONE THE BEST EDITS OF VINTAGE THAT I HAVE SEEN IN PARIS. THEY DEFINITELY HIGHLIGHT THE BEST OF FRANCE LIKE FRENCH RESISTANCE STYLE MACKINAW COATS, HUNTING FIELD JACKETS AND SHORT LEATHERS FAVORED BY EARLY TOUR DE FRANCE RIDERS HEADING THROUGH THE COLD OF THE PYRENEES. 

POSTED BY MATTHEW HRANEK 

Vintage PENNEY'S BIG MAC Coveralls

New old stock PENNEY'S BIG MAC one piece riginal flasher. This vintage suit features two tone •SANFORIZED• herringbone twill fabric and was customized with company name and employee chain stitching. Details include ACTION BACK shoulder pleating for full range of movement, double stitched SAIL CLOTH pockets, BAR TACK stitching at points of strain and TWO WAY ZIPPER. The PENNEY's BIG MAC front pocket label dates this coverall to the early 1950's.

Sold via The San Fernando Valley Mercantile Co.

GRAND CONCOURS PHOTOS SPÉCIAL ANIMAUX PAR GEO.FR

Paris ne veut plus des anciennes motos et voitures!!

Faut-il interdire aux vieilles voitures de rouler en ville ?

Le 12 novembre, le maire de Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, a présenté devant le Conseil de Paris toute une série de mesures visant à lutter contre la pollution automobile. Parmi elles, l’interdiction, dans Paris et sa proche banlieue, des véhicules anciens de plus de 17 ans pour les voitures, et de plus de 18 ans pour les poids lourds. Si l’objectif est bien de réduire le parc des véhicules polluants, cette mesure est pourtant jugée par beaucoup comme « antisociale », dans la mesure où elle impose aux ménages de changer de voiture plus régulièrement. Les associations d’usagers se sont ainsi insurgées contre cette décision « démagogique » qui ne concerne que 3% du parc automobile, et contre les mesures d’accompagnement envisagées par la Ville (abonnement gratuit à Autolib, subventions pour l’achat d’un deux-roues électrique…), considérées comme insuffisantes et inadaptées.

même le trés sérieux site Géo.fr lance le débat avec cette belle photo ....bientôt peut être d'Epinal ??

ne pas hésiter à aller commenter sur leur site ....

| © Ken Kaminesky/Corbis

Blitz Motorcycles :Mécanique Philosophique...

Le Nouvel Observateur du 22 nov , consacre 4 grandes pages "aux anciens cols blancs devenus nouveaux garagistes ...". Sous la rubique Tendance les auteurs soulignent le "coté hipster des ces garagistes aux belles gueules,  cow-boys des temps modernes"
un article bien fait, traduisant parfaitement cette nouvelle orientation issue de la célèbre bible "éloge du carburateur" de Matthew B.Crawford ou du "traité du zen et de l'entretien des motocyclettes" de Robert Pirsig....

On 29 November, the Christie’s South Kensington Saleroom Goes Pop!

Making a change from rare works of art and jewellery, collectibles from the last 100 years of popular culture will star at the forthcoming Christie’s sale. Whether it’s a Jean-Paul Gaultier-designed stage outfit for Madonna, or one of Mick Jagger’s jumpsuits, there’s plenty to interest the avid enthusiast of the performing arts.

It has taken nearly 12 months for the eight-member specialist team from Christie’s to consign over 160 collectibles. The richly filled catalogue reads like a chronicle of the entertainment industry: from Laurel & Hardy autographs to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s Japanese Zen-on bass guitar that featured in the video ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. 

The saleroom’s last auction dedicated purely to the world of pop music, in June 2012, grossed over £650,000. 



Junior specialist in pop culture at Christie's, Caitlin Graham, told us: "We've memorabilia from every decade since the 1900s. 

"The idea of being able to own something so tangible with such a close connection to the rock star who wore it at a particular moment in time, as well as being able to see documentation and photographs of that moment, is really appealing to collectors." 

There’s no doubt that with items such as an early Beatles gig poster, the one you see here advertising the band's 30 June 1962 appearance at the Heswall Jazz Club (£4000 – 6000), the saleroom will be packed. 

Items from the catalogue will be on view from 24 to 28 November at the Christie’s South Kensington showroom. The auction will commence at 14:00 on 29 November. 

The Christie's eCatalogue for its 29 November 'Pop Culture: Entertainment Memorabilia' sale can be viewed online at www.christies.com

Text: J. Philip Rathgen
Photos: Christie's
from Classic Driver