mercredi 22 mai 2013
24 Heures du Nürburgring. ;MAXIME MARTIN LE RINGMEISTER DE L'ENFER VERT.
En croisant le drapeau à damier au 2ème rang absolu au volant de la BMW Z4 GT3 BMW Sports Trophy Marc VDS #25 partagée avec Andrea Piccini, Yelmer Buurman et Richard Göransson, Maxime Martin a largement rempli sa mission aux 24 Heures du Nürburgring. Mais au-delà de ce résultat brut, il y a la manière. Et là, force est de reconnaître qu'une fois de plus, le jeune Belge a marqué les esprits...
Auteur du 7ème meilleur chrono lors de qualifications disputées sur le sec, Maxime Martin s'imposait déjà comme le meilleur performer du clan BMW. Franchement à l'aise lors d'une épreuve qu'il ne disputait pourtant que pour la deuxième fois, le Bruxellois prenait à son compte le début de la course, se maintenant dans le groupe de tête. C'est de nouveau lui qui était au volant lorsque la pluie faisait son apparition en soirée. « J'ai en effet assuré un double relais de nuit sous les hallebardes, raconte Maxime. Ce qui m'a permis de prendre la tête de la course, pour ensuite me ménager une avance d'une minute. Dans ces conditions difficiles, j'étais assez à l'aise... » Si Martin parvenait à se montrer plus rapide que ses adversaires directs, à raison de 30 à 40 secondes... au tour, il avouait ne pas prendre de risques insensés, notamment dans la gestion des doublés. Comme il l'a déjà démontré aux 24 Heures de Spa l'an dernier, quand la situation se complique, le pilote belge parvient à faire la différence...
La pluie s'intensifiant et le brouillard s'invitant à la fête, la Direction de Course décidait d'interrompre la course jusqu'au petit matin... « Une sage décision, confirme Martin. Même si ces conditions plaidaient en ma faveur, il suffit d'un petit rien pour se retrouver dans le mur. Ici, on était victime d'aquaplaning à 50 ou 60 km/h ! Et on n'y voyait plus rien ! Très dangereux... Comme la pluie violente n'a jamais cessé de la nuit, il a fallu attendre une amélioration des conditions et le lever du soleil pour que le Restart soit entériné. Une fois encore, je me suis retrouvé au volant, passant de la 5ème à la 2ème place au premier freinage, avant de virer en tête au raccordement avec la Nordschleife. Un tour plus tard, je possédais une avance de 20 secondes, que j'ai gérée par la suite... »Sur une piste allant en s'asséchant, les pneus Dunlop des Mercedes faisaient la différence... « J'ai entamé un dernier double relais jusqu'à l'arrivée, et j'ai attaqué, sourit Maxime. Lors de l'ultime arrêt au stand, on m'a dit d'attaquer... encore plus ! J'ai alors signé mon meilleur tour en course en 8'22''. » Frank Stippler, le deuxième plus rapide en piste, a de son côté été crédité d'un temps de 8'30'' ! Sur le sec, Maxime revenait sur les Mercedes à coups de... 22 ou 23 secondes au tour. Ce qui a mené la Z4 GT3 #25 jusqu'à la 2ème place. Mission accomplie !
Des chiffres qui parlent d'eux-mêmes, et qui expliquent sans doute que lors des prochaines 24 Heures du Mans, Maxime Martin a été réclamé par l'équipe Thiriet by TDS Racing, engagée en LMP2 avec un Proto Oreca. « BMW Motorsport m'a donné le feu vert pour participer au Mans pour la troisième fois au volant d'un Proto. Je les en remercie. L'équipe TDS Racing a remporté la joute ELMS d'Imola ce week-end, ce qui illustre son potentiel. En attendant cette échéance dans la Sarthe, je vais m'autoriser quelques jours de vacances, avant d'envisager la deuxième manche de la Blancpain Endurance Series sur le circuit de Silverstone. » La pluie, alliée de Maxime Martin, sera-t-elle de nouveau au rendez-vous au pays de Sa Majesté ?
Source : Maxime Martin via Endurance-Info
CLASSIC DAYS: BACK TO THE PAST
Historically, France is a country where the car has been witness to great know-how, technological vanguard, great sporting moments and a shared passion for almost 150 years. Even if the glory years seem behind us, it’s clear that the flame that drives our mechanical passion is far from dying! The Classic Days is a unique event, with more than 1,000 vehicles massing in the center of France to create the largest event dedicated to older vehicles.
Because there is no selection process, the participants come from all countries with their cars of various origin, just to participate in this great celebration of the automobile, and perpetuate the traditions and history. Of course, most of the cars you see over these two great days are shown in museums, but at Classic Days these exceptional vehicles, which may cost a fortune, gather for one purpose: to be driven! Engines are awakened to stretch their mechanical internals, because there’s nothing more beautiful than a car in motion, right ?
For a large event, there must obviously be a suitable place to host it, and there’s no better place for it than the legendary Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, which even a few years ago hosted the Formula 1 World Championship. This circuit was the scene of many historic moments in motorsport, and the surroundings are still echoing from the sounds of the powerful machines that have battled here.
The sun rises just as the first sounds of engines can be heard; a soft melody that spreads into the surrounding countryside. It’s also reunion time for some of the long-term participants.
The mix of cars is eclectic: European cars mingle with powerful ones from the USA, the elegant English or the Asian legends.
Some are committed to experiencing the authenticity of a bygone era, and to put themselves in the shoes of a driver from yesteryear. To feel the air on your face and see the curves of the circuit through these old goggles must be an incredible experience!
This shiny MGB GT V8 came to do battle on the track!
The first cars soar in the early morning. The pit exit is a place that visitors frequent to enjoy the enchanting sound of the engines during acceleration: a treat for the ears!
Rolling in the same tracks as some of great drivers who have used these curves, like Jacky Ickx and Alain Prost.
The sound of engines reverberates along the stalls and stands, exactly the same way as they did in the past.
Amateur drivers, some of whose talent is not far off the professionals, are determined to give their best to offer the spectators an unforgettable experience.
Only 69 Europa Cup Alpine GTAs left the factory of the French brand. This model was built for a single make series and has a rather efficient V6 Turbo!
The ‘pre-war’ class had a lot of participants. This 1931 Bugatti 51 is a perfect example; it can reach 200km/h thanks to its near 160 horsepower. Driving this ancient machine is a real test for the driver’s body!
The detailed aerodynamics of motorsport is a real treat. The owners, who are very friendly, respond with pleasure and passion to the questions of the curious.
These enamel plate marks would offer a vintage touch to your garage?
The village consists of exhibitor stands which are full of rare parts. We can also appreciate the great qualities of these objects and how they were fashioned with patience and know-how. A far cry from the soulless assembly lines of today.
This shop specialized in replica helmets that have been worn by some of the greatest drivers in the history of world motorsport.
Not all cars fit into the paddock as there are too many. Thus, the huge parking lots were turned into a temporary show to accommodate the hundreds of vehicles present. This Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior, in near new condition, is a true collector’s item. The owner had no hesitation in bringing it on track either.
This incredible BMW 320 Group 5 was a huge success with the spectators, especially for fans of the propeller brand. The aerodynamic features are rather impressive!
Club Datsun France had to participate in the event, with several Fairlady Zs including this superb track-ready car. This proudly represented the glorious past of the Japanese sports car!
Seeing a Porsche 935 like this in a museum or show is reasonably common, however, to see them on track and to be able to assess its performance is a rare experience!
Large and aggressively designed French sports cars, as seen here with an Alpine GTA V6, are typical of the ’80s style.
Inspired by the achievements of Colin Chapman at the circuit Monthléry in 1963, André Marcadier created an inexpensive sports car, that was lightweight with a tubular chassis and a Renault engine with approximately 170 horsepower. Buyers could order this car and receive it as a kit to assemble.
One of the unique aspects of Classic Days is the free access for all visitors to the paddocks and pits around circuit. This is a great advantage since it’s possible to experience the event from the inside, and you can enjoy the cars and mingle with drivers. Proximity greatly intensifies the show!
The lucky owners of these racing cars can enjoy the most pleasant and relaxed conditions, unlike the heated races of yesteryear.
The American cars were pretty well represented with imports from the other side of the Atlantic, by collectors following the ‘American way of life’ rare models. Look at this beautiful 1965 Chevrolet Corvette coupe.
This beautiful BMW 2002 Touring was not there to make up the numbers, but to satisfy the urges of its driver.
Braking when approaching the delicate curve of Estoril gives a cold sweat to the drivers of the more prestigious and rather expensive cars! Unfortunately, there would be some crashes here over the weekend.
Seeing a Porsche using its racing slicks as they were intended on a circuit like Magny-Cours is an indescribable pleasure.
Several Ford GT40s came to stretch their wheels at Classic Days. A legendary car with many successes in the ’60s at the 24 Heures du Mans. The Circuit de la Sarthe is only a few hundred kilometers away.
In the late afternoon, a parade is held on the circuit. This year almost 600 vehicles drove together at the same time!
Imagine the roar as hundreds of drivers rev their engines at the same time! A magical moment!
More than just a car event, the Classic Days is a unique human experience that brings together not only the cars but also a huge community of enthusiasts from all backgrounds.
This was the end of a memorable weekend, one of the events that would impress any Speedhunter. Two exceptional days that fill our heads with memories, encounters, and discoveries. A look into the mirror of the history of the automobile that reminds us how the world has evolved, but also how lucky we are to witness the rolling art and enjoy them with our own eyes and ears.
Amaury Pinson
A day with some Morgans. 3 Wheeler and Plus 8.
Having just finished a tour of the Morgan factory in the UK, we’re invited to take the company’s legendary 3 Wheeler for a spin. We don’t need to be asked twice.
After a couple of hours enjoying the rustic charm of the Morgan factory, my appetite was sufficiently whetted. I wanted to see how the handcrafted nature of the company translated into the final product. As did my Dad, who’d joined me on my visit. He’s also lived in Malvern for more than 30 years, and yet had never been in one of the town’s most famous exports.
Morgan very kindly supplied a 3 Wheeler to sample. It’s the vehicle that’s provided Morgan with a huge amount of publicity since it was unveiled in 2011, slotting into a niche and finding fans of those fascinated and delighted with its mix of modern power and retro charm. This particular model, as recently unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, sports the iconicGulf racing livery and looks undeniably splendid in the famous blue and orange. However, licensing costs mean it’ll set you back an additional 6000-odd dollars on top of the already pricey $47,865 price tag (including UK tax). It’s an expensive toy.
I’ll ignore the price for now. For your money, you get what was known in Morgan’s early days as a cycle car, powered through the rear wheel by a front-mounted American 2-litre S&S V-twin producing 115bhp. The engine is connected to a Mazda MX-5 gearbox, which is famed for its short-shifting notchiness. Sounds good.
Getting in requires a bit of flexibility. With no doors, one has to hoik one’s leg over the side-mounted exhausts and then lower oneself into place. Once settled into the leather-lined seats it’s surprisingly comfortable. The set up is simplicity personified – a couple of gauges, four toggles for lights and horn, an indicator stalk and a gearstick, with a handbrake next to it. Things are a little snug – Dad’s slim, 5’10 or so, and I’m slightly larger, and we were rubbing arms. But I didn’t fear that I’d not be able to change gear.
Firing the 3 Wheeler up requires a twist of the key and then a press of the button underneath a jet-style plastic cover. The whole cockpit in fact is reminiscent of an early fighter aeroplane, so much so that Morgan offers RAF-style graphics and fake bullet holes as a livery option. You supply your own leather cap and goggles though. The big V-twin bursts into life and settles into a loud put-put-put-put idle. It sounds, unsurprisingly, like a Harley – the S&S engine is oft-used by those looking for more power from their hogs.
Speaking of goggles, the lack of windscreen was a feature I hadn’t really considered until I hopped in and realised that I would be fully exposed to the elements. There are two token glass deflectors but I thank my lucky stars that it’s a sunny day in Malvern and I have sunglasses on.
I push the clutch in, knock the gearbox into first and ease carefully away. I have no real idea how the 3 Wheeler is going to feel, having only ever piloted vehicles with four wheels in the past. But I’m assured that it won’t flip over. Nevertheless, my first few miles are taken cautiously. Even at these speeds however, meandering through town, I’m having a blast. My right arm is hanging outside the car, my hair is being swept back and I’m overloading pretty much every sense it’s possibly to feel through while driving.
After the factory tour in the morning, it’s time for lunch, and we decide to eat before heading off to shoot the pictures. As we’re so close to my parents’ place, we go there. A perfect opportunity to grab a quick family pic, and also to pick up my fiancee for a ride through the Worcestershire hills.
After a fine home-made meal, we head out again, and I finally get a chance to see what the Mog is like on the twisting country roads outside of town. In short, hilarious. Although the 3 Wheelers feels a bit like a chugging bathtub, the low weight and potent engine make for pretty decent speed, the sensation of which is amplified by its proximity to the elements. It’s extremely easy, if you’re too eager on the clutch, to spin the thin rear tyre up and given a bit more time I’m sure some interesting sideways action could have been had. But not with my betrothed in the car. The wedding would be off.
The steering is direct and meaty, a world away from the insulated, overly-assisted system I’ve grown used to even in sports cars. The noise of the V-twin changes from a chug to a rasping roar and speed increases very quickly. The gearbox is superb – fast and slick and perfectly in character with the rest of the car. Handling-wise, I’m pleasantly surprised to discover that it handles much like any other small sports car. The thin front tyres were a bit of a worry but the 3 Wheeler is so light that they never feel overloaded, and turn in is sharp and quick. There’s also a great response from the public. People in Malvern are used to seeing Morgans flying around, but they’re still nudging and pointing. It’s far too British a place to get the kind of cheering you’d see driving a Ferrari around Maranello, but the sentiment isn’t a world away.
I love the 3 Wheeler, does my other half, but it remains an expensive toy. Although there’s nominal luggage space, and it’s surprisingly comfortable, I wouldn’t recommend it in a practical sense for a second. On this day, on these roads, with this beautiful weather, it’s fantastically good fun and perhaps best sums up Morgan as a company for me – eccentric, very different to the mainstream, but still very capable.
With regret, I take it back to the factory, and hurriedly swap it for a Plus 8, as the day is fast coming to an end. This is the model that represents the best of both worlds – a lightweight bonded aluminium chassis and a 4.8-litre BMW engine, but with the traditional coachbuilt body and classic looks. It weighs just 1100kg dry and puts out 315bhp. And as a result, it really shifts, hitting 100kph in just 4.5 seconds and maxing out at 249kph. It looks just fabulous – a wider, more butch version of the classic shape rather than some retro-inspired modern interpretation.
To drive, its drivetrain lends it a large amount of BMW character. The ultra-smooth pull of the V8, and the beautifully refined six=speed manual gearbox (an auto is also available) give it an assured surge under acceleration, but without the raw-edged drama you might expect in a hand built car. Indeed, it feels thorough composed an assured when pushed. You sit almost over the rear axle, and the double-doored bonnet stretches out towards the horizon in front of you. It’s almost like you’re riding a missile, dressed in tweed.
Here’s where my sensible head kicks in though. The Plus 8 costs, in UK spec with tax, $131,000. You could get a pretty decent ‘modern’ sportscar for that money, with all the mod-cons that come from buying a relatively mass-produced machine. You wouldn’t get the hand-built character that a Morgan has in spades, but neither would you have the niggles. Later on, I couldn’t get the roof down as the switch to unlatch the canvas got stuck. Even if it had worked, removing it requires the unfastening of lots of things, and then the manual application of a cover. The wind noise with the roof up is plentiful. The stereo system looks like it comes from the 90s. You need at least three keys with you at all time. If you want to take the door windows off, you have nowhere to store them. And so on.
The Plus 8 for me would be a car to add to a sizeable collection, for occasional drives. Modern motoring is at a stage where if you want a Plus 8 as a daily driver, you’ll have to get used to a lot more… well, faffing about. For some, that will be part of the appeal. For others, it’ll rule it out.
Still, there’s no denying the buckets of charm and character that a Morgan – any Morgan – brings with it, and I completely understand why it has such a devoted fanbase and has succeeded in a business sense where so many others have failed. Personally, I find the Plus 8 a little too much hard work for the price, but the 3 Wheeler is right up my street. It’s so eccentric as a concept that the practicality aspect really doesn’t come into the equation, and the quirks of the hand-crafted nature are a plus rather than a hindrance. At half the price of the Plus 8 it makes much more sense as a weekend toy. I strongly suspect that I won’t be alone in this view when Morgan arrives in the Middle East at the end of this year, and fully expect to see a growing fleet of 3 Wheelers tooling around Arabian streets. Trust me when I say that everyone driving them will have huge smiles on their faces.
from crankandpiston
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