from ruggeriblog
dimanche 17 mars 2013
Carmakers flock to R5 class / Les constructeurs se lancent en « R5 »
Following the maiden runs of the Ford Fiesta R5 and Peugeot 208, Citroën is expected to reveal its DS3 R5 at April’s Rally de Portugal. There is a chance it will appear as zero car at the Rallye de France.
Après les premiers roulages de la Ford Fiesta R5 et ceux de la Peugeot 208, Citroën devrait présenter sa DS3 R5 lors du prochain Rallye du Portugal. Elle pourrait rouler en voiture « 0 » au Rallye de France.
To be eligible for the FIA’s ‘R5’ class (four-wheel drive, turbocharged petrol engine), a minimum of 2,500 identical cars must be manufactured over a period of 12 months. The performance of these machines is expected to be between that of an ‘S2000’ and an ‘RRC’.
Two weeks ago, the Ford Fiesta R5 made its first public appearance at the Malcolm Wilson Rally in Cumbria, northwest England, where Matthew Wilson/Chris Patterson completed seven stages. Last week saw Matthew test the car on asphalt in Wales, and M-Sport plans further work in Spain and the south of France over the coming days.
Meanwhile, Peugeot Sport is working on the 208 R5 which was officially christened ‘208 T16’ in February. After Bryan Bouffier’s work at the end of 2012, Ireland’s Craig Breen was tasked with the most recent gravel test and the car could well make its first competitive appearance in the second half of 2013. For the moment, however, the FIA hasn’t received homologation applications for either the Fiesta or the 208.
The Volkswagen Group could well produce its own R5 challenger with its brand Skoda, but not before 2015, since the car would be based on the new Fabia which is due in 2014. There is no fresh news from Toyota, but an R5 car still figures in the Japanese make’s plans.
At the last FIA World Council meeting, the decision was taken to allow R1, R2 and R3 cars to use a series engine which isn’t necessarily that which powers the model currently marketed (from January 1, 2014). This would allow Opel, for example, to return to rallying while an R5 car was being developed.
We have learnt that the Citroën DS3 R5 might be revealed at next month’s Rally de Portugal and, if the project continues as planned, it could serve as ‘zero car’ at the Rallye de France. With who behind the wheel, we wonder?
La catégorie « R5 » est ouverte aux voitures de Tourisme ou de Grande Production, à moteur essence suralimenté, 4 roues motrices. Pour être homologuées par la FIA, ces voitures doivent être produites à 2500 exemplaires identiques en 12 mois consécutifs. Le niveau de performances d’une « R5 » devrait se situer entre celles d’une S2000 et celles d’une RRC.
Il y a quinze jours, la Ford Fiesta R5 a effectué sa première apparition publique à l’occasion du Malcolm Wilson Rally, à Cumbria. Matthew Wilson et Chris Patterson ont parcouru les sept spéciales du rallye. La semaine passée, Matthew était au Pays de Galles pour des tests sur asphalte. M-Sport devrait poursuivre les essais en Espagne, puis dans le sud de la France dans les jours prochains.
De son côté, Peugeot Sport travaille au développement de la 208 R5 officiellement baptisée 208 T16 en février dernier. Après Bryan Bouffier fin 2012, c’est l’Irlandais Craig Breen qui a mené les derniers tests sur terre au volant de cette nouvelle auto dont les débuts en course sont programmés au second semestre 2013. A ce jour, la FIA n’a reçu aucun dossier de demande d’homologation, ni pour la Fiesta, ni pour la 208.
Le Groupe Volkswagen pourrait également se lancer dans la catégorie « R5 » via la marque Skoda, mais pas avant 2015 puisque l’auto serait basée sur le nouveau modèle de la Fabia attendu en 2014. Pas de nouvelles du côté de Toyota, mais le projet « R5 » est toujours dans les cartons du constructeur japonais.
Lors du dernier Conseil Mondial, décision a été prise d’autoriser les R1, R2 et R3 à utiliser des moteurs de série différents de ceux qui équipent les modèles actuellement commercialisés (à partir du 1er janvier 2014). Cette décision permettra par exemple à la marque Opel de se relancer
en rallye, en attendant, peut-être une version « R5 ».
Par ailleurs, nous avons appris que la Citroën DS3 R5 devrait être présentée lors du prochain Rallye du Portugal, et, si le projet avance comme prévu, pourrait officier en voiture « 0 » au Rallye de France. Qui à son volant ?
from best-of-rallylive
Influx Top Ten German Cars of All Time
Germany has produced some of the greatest all round cars of all time. But could you pick the definitive top ten?
10 Ruf CTR Yellowbird
Poster child for insane German tuning industry. Beat the Ferrari F40 to first production car with 200MPH top end. ‘Nuff said.
9 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL 6.9
The most outrageous S-class borrowed the 6.9-litre engine from the vast Pullman limo. James Hunt had one, and stored it on bricks when he couldn’t afford the tax
8 Auto Union V16
Legendary, terrifying, Hitler-sponsored racers with over 500bhp: it took decades for post-war Formula 1 cars to get close
7 BMW 507
Albrecht Goertz’s iconic design was early proof that the reborn German car industry could do gorgeous as well as good
6 Volkswagen Golf GTi
Groundbreaking hot hatch, and still sensational to drive. We’ll have ours in Mars red, please
5 BMW E39 530d
Arguably — pound-for-pound — the best car Germany has ever made because it so comprehensively eclipsed its rivals
4 Volkswagen Beetle
Where it all re-started for the German car industry after the war; the original stayed in production in Mexico until 2003
3 Benz Patent Motorwagen
Innovative wagon from the early years of internal combustion. Look out for the AMG version!
2 Porsche 911
Of course it has to be in this list, but which do you pick? An early seventies, 2.4-litre 911S is arguably the sweetest of the lot
1 Porsche 917
Like Wagner on four wheels. Count Rossi’s road-registered version is possibly the coolest thing ever to wear number plates
from .influx.
The Lamborghini WRC Stage One
Driving the new Carrozzeria Touring Disco Volante
At the Geneva Motor Show, Carrozzeria Touring will resurrect the legendary Disco Volante – and the famous coachbuilder exclusively allowed Classic Driver to commandeer the ‘UFO from Arese’ a week before its maiden flight.
Entering the industrial spaces of Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera would send any human with a millilitre of petrol in their veins into a dream-like state. Strewn across the factory floor are numerous prototypes from more than half a century of automotive history, all waiting to awake from deep slumber. Men in powder-blue overalls scurry between such classics as Alfa Romeo 6Cs and Aston Martin DB2s, readying them for the upcoming concours season. Among them hang the hand-sculpted body panels of the modern supercar, patiently waiting to receive their coats of paint. And what a treat they’re in for; just feet away, a pair of finished cars sit proud of the creative chaos, resplendent; as though bathed in molten lipstick. One is the wood-and-clay mockup that was the 2012 Geneva car; the other is the first production car – the key to the latter sits in my (slightly moist) palm, and right now it feels like the key to the city.
I’m caught gazing at the voluptuous bodies of the otherworldly beings by Head of Design Louis de Fabribeckers, who saves me from further locker-room thoughts. “From above they look like Coke bottles, don’t they?” he asks. “Sure…” is my sheepish reply. But I won’t be the last to compare the Disco to the feminine form in the coming weeks. It’s astonishing how faithful Touring has remained to last year’s curvaceous concept, retaining the distinctive hips, sweeping tail and characterful aluminium strip which extends from the familiar Alfa grille to the door handles, all of which contribute to making the Neo Disco such a unique phenomenon. Only small details – the most obvious being the adoption of Ferrari 599 headlights – have been altered in respect of feasibility and safety approval. The Alfa 8C donor car provides the V8 and associated running gear, but Touring is responsible for hand-crafting the aluminium and carbonfibre body, along with the newly-panoramic roof and interior flourishes such as the red and blue ambient lighting. That elegant tail also offers improved boot space, too.
It’s not just there to look pretty, though; attack mode is brought on by firing up the 4.7-litre V8, which offers the sort of rich, gruff sound only the Italians seem able to extract. Pedestrians track the car with open mouths, alerted by its bark then stunned into motionlessness by its appearance. Such attention just serves to put more pressure on the pilot, as if the car’s uniqueness and importance in Geneva weren’t enough. Even a single stone chip would be disastrous, so the car’s true abilities are only tested on the quietest, smoothest Tarmac in the surrounding area. Nerves are soothed slightly by the ride quality - which has been improved during its transformation from 8C to DV in order to match the coachbuilt car’s sophisticated character.
Its designers, coachbuilders, engineers, painters and interior trimmers have ploughed around 4,000 man-hours into perfecting the Disco Volante. The result speaks not only for the quality of a team that capably bridges the spectrum between high technology and skilled manual labour, but also embodies Carrozzeria Touring’s idea of a modern bespoke masterpiece. While many manufacturers produce design studies which are never intended to touch Tarmac, Touring has taken inspiration from its legacy and created a special series for small-scale manufacture. The Disco may wow on the showfloor at Geneva, but a fortunate few will also be able to order one for their own collection; Touring expects to produce four to six customer cars, with the show car being offered too. That’s one UFO encounter we’d be happy to recommend.
| Related Links You can read the story of the first Disco Volante in 1952, and the recent development of the new version in our detailed dossier If you're interested in a new Disco Volante, contact www.touringsuperleggera.eu for more information; the price is available only on request Numerous classic and modern Alfa Romeos can be found in the Classic Driver Marketplace |
Text & Photos: Jan Baedeker(ClassicDriver)
Ferrari Sergio by Pininfarina: Tribute to a legend
Pininfarina is using the Geneva Motor Show to showcase its ‘Sergio’ concept: a one-off barchetta, based on a Ferrari 458 and built to commemorate the achievements of its late chairman.
Pininfarina’s design team has taken the chassis and powertrain from a 458, and cloaked it in a unique, barchetta-style body with no roof or windscreen. Like theother Ferrari to debut at Geneva, a great deal of thought has gone into the aerodynamics; the deflector ahead of the cockpit creates a ‘virtual windscreen’ to protect passengers from buffeting, while the roll bar doubles as a spoiler to create more downforce. Additionally, the dashboard-mounted rear-view mirror is said to divert turbulence away from the occupants.
As arguably the world’s most famous design house, Pininfarina has ensured the car's styling puts form on a par with functionality. All ‘technical’ parts of the design (handles, fins and air intakes) have been confined to the dark areas of the car, leaving the two expansive red surfaces to retain clean, uninterrupted lines and elegant curvature. The latter is said to be inspired by the sports and racing cars of the 1960s; interestingly, the LaFerrari casts a nod to the sports prototypes of the same era – perhaps the two would make for the ideal fantasy pairing in your motor house.
That will have to remain a fantasy, however. While Ferrari plans to make 499 LaFerraris, there are no plans in place to begin small-series production of the Sergio concept. However, we’re sure that if you delivered a 458 to Turin with a blank cheque in the glovebox, the legendary coachbuilder could knock something similar up for you.
| Related Links For information on all the important premieres at Geneva, take a look at our detailed dossier Hundreds of Ferraris, both modern and classic, can be found in the Classic Driver Marketplace |
Text: Joe Breeze(ClassicDriver)
Photos: Pininfarina
WHY YOU SHOULD RESPECT THE SAAB 96
by / 14 Mar 2013
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The Saab 96 was essentially the 2nd revision of their first production car, the 92. Built from 1960 to 1980,
the 96 was Saab's first car exported in significant numbers, and it served to cement Saab's reputation
as a maker of safe, economic, fun-to-drive cars. School teachers, engineers and architects loved the 96
and found its practical, quirky nature very appealing.
Like its predecessors, the 96 was equipped with a rorty, smoke-belching screamer of a two-stroke engine,
specifically an 840cc three cylinder, which was later superseded by a Ford-sourced, four-stroke V4.
Though fittingly unconventional, the Ford-sourced four was quite gruff and reluctant to rev—
though it did retain Saab's traditional and super-cool freewheeling feature, originally fitted to their
two–stroke cars to ensure adequate lubrication during deceleration.
The 96 racked up win after win in international rally racing, frequently with the legendary
Erik Carlsson behind the wheel. Carlsson piloted the little teardrop-shaped cars to first place victories
at the 1960, 1961 and 1962 RAC rallies, as well as the 1962 and 1963 Monte Carlo events.
Erik's 1962 RAC victory came in thanks to a rear suspension component which he surreptitiously
"borrowed" from a spectator's car after the same piece fitted to his race car was damaged—
the owner was reportedly furious when he turned up to drive home and found his car immobile,
but the two later became good friends.
We love the 96 for all its engineering madness, its idiosyncratic style, and most of all, its wailing,
off-beat, two-stroke, three-cylinder soundtrack. As you know, Saab was lost to history last year,
the fault of decades of inept and neglectful GM management, changing marketplace dynamics,
and the ever increasing sanitization of modern cars. We miss them like crazy.
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Cafe Racer Dreams #26
You would normally have to head to Spain to see one of Pery’s tasteful brat style customs, but this lovely little triumph is destined for London, as she’s been built for a customer here: Cafe Racer Dreams’ first UK commission!
The usual work has gone into turning this Hinckley-built machine into something a lot more desireable; a looped rear subframe, a shortened, flat, brat-style seat, minimal fenders, sidepanels removed and wiring tidied-up, plus tasteful retro paint, all done in-house.
The speedo is a top of the range minimalist Motogadget item, mounted just ahead of the Rethnal lows. The wheels are 18 inch Borrani rims wearing fat Firestone Deluxe rubber, and suspended on a pair of Öhlins shocks; which may be appreciated on London’s potholed and works-scarred roads.
Whether you rate ‘em or hate ‘em, you gotta love that Firestone zigzag tread.
Love the subtle Cafe Racer Dreams sign-off below the Triumph badge.
All speedos should look like this.
The perfect silhouette for an urban motorcycle?
The cutdown subframe has a subtle kick-up at the rear to reveal the short fender and rear light.
See more from Pedro and Co at Cafe Racer Dreams or HERE on The Bike Shed.
from thebikeshed
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