2014 Bentley Flying Spur vs. 2014 Rolls-Royce Ghost!

 Kim Reynolds re-enacts the Battle of Britain by pitting the Union Jack's two great luxury names again each other — Bentley versus Rolls-Royce. However, these two require testing that's elevated above the routine, so we've devised as few, ah, unorthodox challenges. With almost 1200-hp, twenty-four cylinders, and four turbochargers between them, the Flying Spur and Ghost can both paint tire streaks on the dragstrip. But can they paint with acrylics on canvas as well? We'll find out. And which car can turn more heads in ritzy Santa Monica? We aimed video cameras at the sidewalks and counted the eyeballs. All that, and the answer to which car has a $40,000 paint job, is just a click away! 

Elements of Enduro Behind The Scenes – Sibiu, Romania

from Throttle Entertainment: “As the 2013 season comes to end, we take a look back at the making of an epic free ride piece we shot in Romania earlier this year. It took a dedicated crew of passionate filmmakers to brave the wet and muddy conditions in the Carpathian Mountains to shoot this exclusive Web Clip for Red Bull. Featuring Chris Birch, Lars Enoeckl and Paul Bolton.”

1968 ALFA ROMEO TIPO 33/2 ‘DAYTONA’

The 1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 ‘Daytona’ was created to race in highly competitive endurance events, the 2.2 litre Porsche 907 had been dominating these races and so Alfa Romeo decided to race a 2.0 litre model in the class just below the 907.

It was a clever strategic play by the Italians and it paid off in a big way, at the first race the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 took the win for the 2.0 litre class with drivers Udo Schütz and Nino Vaccarella taking turns behind the wheel at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

After the car’s victory at Daytona it became affectionately known as the ‘Daytona’ and made it’s way to Europe to race at the Targa Florio where it took second, then onto the Nürburgring 1000 km for another win, followed by yet another victory at the 1000km Monza.

A total of 28 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 Daytonas were built, this particular chassis (75033.029) won at Imola in 1968 . There’s no listed price estimate for the Alfa but it’s a safe bet that it’s significantly more than banks keep in the vault.

Check out the official listing here.

Photo Credits: Simon Clay ©2011 Courtesy of RM Auctions via SILODROME

Pure Motorcycles' Black Diamond

We're big fans of Pure Motorcycles at the Bike Shed, so while we wait for pics & info on their latest build, RedSun7 here's a few shots of Black Diamond.

Ferrari F50 looks spectacular doing drifts and burnouts in slow motion

Still looking great after almost 20 years

YouTube user TaxTheRich is at it again, this time with a slow-motion clip showcasing the Ferrari F50.

It was less than two weeks ago when we saw a Ferrari Enzo performing burnouts, drifts and power slides in a spectacular slow motion clip, and now we have a similar video with its predecessor, the F50.

The footage comes from the same people who took a Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II off-road and pushed the pedal to the metal of a rare Bugatti EB110 Super Sport. They also organized a tug of war between two F50s and decided to go on an off-road adventure with the Jaguar XJ220.

TH1RTE3N MOTOS

Dave from Th1rte3n Motos got his first bike when he was just nine – a Yamaha TY8o. From trials riding he moved into Motocross and in 1993 he got his first sports bike, a 1993 ZZR600 Kawasaki pocket rocket. Every year Dave upgraded his sportsbike, eventually building his own machines.

The first featured in a magazine was a GSXR 750 made from factory parts used on Jamie Whitham’s race bikes. In 2002 he built a GSXR1000 with 202bhp. It would fair to say Dave liked fast bikes.

From these hypersports bikes Dave moved into Streetfighters, then in 2007 he got into classics, but in 2010 Dave got caught up in the new cafe/tracker scenes and picked up an xs650 to work on, and it was good. Very good.

By trade Dave was a car dealer, but after building about 20 cafe racers and trackers he realised that this was a better future and TH1RTE3N MOTOS was born. (Dave was born on Friday 13th).

If you like what you see here, Th1rte3n Motos can either work on customer-owned bikes, or they can source you a bike to be built to your spec, or Dave has bikes you can buy complete… Hook up with Dave on theTHI1RTE3N MOTOS Facebook pages or get in touch by email.

via The Bike Shed

BMW R NINET BY URBAN MOTOR

The most audacious motorcycle launch of late has been the BMW R nineT. Who’d have thought that the clinical Germans would reveal a naked boxer with built-in options for customization? Even better, Ola Stenegärd’s design team have wasted no time in delivering pre-production models to selected custom builders. Here’s the first cab off the rank: ‘Track Grinder’ from Berlin-based Urban Motor.

Urban Motor’s Peter Dannenberg was one of three custom builders invited to test-ride the R nineT in Spain a few months ago, before the launch—and even before any journalists got to see the bike. “While sitting around the camp fire, we developed the idea that each builder should customize a nineT,” he explains. And here’s the first result: a nineT reduced to the bare essentials, with a splash of color on the simplified bodywork and a dash of flat track style.

With 110 stout German horses on tap, the engine has been left alone. But almost everything else has been modified. The modular look of the stock gas tank has been simplified to great effect, and it now flows into a custom alloy tail and seat unit with leather upholstery.

Behind the race number holder is a tiny ellipsoid 50mm headlight. The clutch and master cylinders are Brembo upgrades and there’s a smattering of high-end Motogadget parts throughout—including Motoscope Pro instrumentation (fully adapted to the BMW CAN-Bus system), m-Blaze Disc bar end turn signals, and an m-Lock digital key/transponder system.

Up front are classy Gilles Tooling clip-ons and a Domino throttle lever, and down below are Tarozzi pegs and a stubby Supertrapp exhaust system. The blacked-out wheels are shod with dual-sport GT201 rubber from Golden Tyre, the Italian company best known for its motocross tires.

It’s a striking start to BMW Motorrad’s new custom program. We’ll be keeping an eye out for future R nineT customs from the other builders over the coming months, but in the meantime, head over to the BMW Motorrad website for all the details on the production R nineT. Or check out Urban Motor’s other builds here.

via BIKEEXIF

Belstaff Presents: For The Open Road

Belstaff presents For The Open Road featuring David Beckham, a documentation of five British bikers on a journey from the Goodwood estate in West Sussex to New Bond Street in the heart of London. http://www.belstaff.com

For The Open Road captures a thrilling journey through the passionate eyes of Belstaff's Modern Legends: dynamic riders with a daring sense of adventure. They explore the historic Goodwood Estate, ride through the countryside, and join 50 others to blaze down New Bond Street in a motorbike parade. 

A nod to Belstaff's roots in motorsport, speed meets style as we explore the spirit of the open road and the camaraderie it forges.




(Produced by HLA for Belstaff)

HONDA CUB: DIRTY DONKEY

The Honda Super Cub is the best-selling two-wheeler on the planet. Since 1958, it’s sold more than 60 million units. So, as you can imagine, there are some pretty cool custom Cubs around — but few are as cool as the machines being turned out by Holland’s Super Motor Company.

This is the latest build from SMC, nicknamed Dirty Donkey. “Yes, it does sound like the title of an obscure 70s porn movie,” admits SMC main man Dimitri Hettinga, “but it‘s nothing to do with that. It’s a bike meant to be happy on the dirt track.”

Dirty Donkey has been built to race, with tongue firmly in cheek, at the Dirt Quake event organized by Sideburn Magazine in the UK. And it incorporates a few lessons learnt from SMC’s Salt Shaker build, one of the biggest hits on Bike EXIF last year.

SMC’s inspiration came from vintage motocross, desert racers and dirt trackers: CZs, Maicos, and the Harley/Aermacchi Sprints used in 60s flat track racing. Salt Shaker was pretty but “a bitch to start and ride,” says Dimitri, so he’s kept the YX 140cc SOHC engine stock this time. It delivers a mighty 15 hp to the back wheel.

As with all SMC builds, the Cub frame has been modified with the help of welding wizard Jaap Volkers. A Honda C50 rear fender has been expertly grafted on, and the tank is a Honda Camino item that’s been cut-and-shut and flipped 180 degrees. The suspension is custom, as are the side covers. The hand controls are vintage Tommaselli.

Dimitri’s grandmother upholstered the seat unit in a silky-smooth ‘desert beige’ suede. “There’s a gap between the seat and tank, but it also gives it a bit of that 60s desert racer feel. Which I like,” says Dimitri.

Hiding the wiring was a challenge, but worthwhile: the front end is especially neat. “It took me over a day to make it work. Now I understand why even the bigger motorcycle brands don’t, because it’s just too labor intensive to justify the cost.” Dimitri had the exhaust fabricated before painting, and after a few issues with the rubber mountings, a synthetic rubber bushing solved the problems and Dirty Donkey was done.

The bike went on show in Milan during the EICMA exhibition, and it’s now for sale, complete with EU registration documents. And with a catch, too: “It must attend Dirt Quake and Wheels & Waves next year,” says Dimitri. “Or we will deliver it to you afterwards!”

Images by David Finato Photography. More details on Super Motor Company’s custom Cubs are on their website.

from BIKEEXIF

Rare spectacle: Alpine A110 1800VA East African Safari in action

Only five examples of the Alpine A110 1800VA were made by the factory motorsport department ‘Service Course’ in 1974 and 1975. One of them is today, after extensive restoration, back in its original condition, as the following video demonstrates...

Only rally drivers of the calibre of Jean Pierre Nicolas and Gérard Larousse were allowed to sit behind the wheel of the A110 1800VA factory cars. However, one of the five Alpines was sold as a ‘Client Competition’ version to Nairobi, Kenya – when Robert ‘Rob’ Glen acquired the specially prepared Berlinette for entry into the East African Safari Rally. “I purchased the Alpine fully equipped from the factory and flew it to Kenya, where I rallied it for two years. As you may imagine, it was a fantastic car,” says Rob, many decades later.

The Alpine experts from alpineLAB found this rare car in Africa and brought it back to Europe in a sorry state. Here, the car was lovingly restored thanks to 3000 man-hours of careful work – and now the results can be seen and heard.

Photos/Video: alpineLAB

Anyone who has a love of the Alpine should enjoy the website alpineLAB, where you can discover exceptional competition cars and their individual stories:  www.alpinelab.de

Classic Alpines can be found in the Classic Driver Market.

CB 450 by TROPHY

This 1972 Honda CL450 has been beautifully restored and turned into a cafe racer by Trophy Motorcycles in San Diego (CA). This bike was the scrambler sister of the CB450, powered by the same 444cc DOHC parallel twin engine. The difference between the two models were indeed mainly cosmetic, and due to its higher pipes and braced handlebars, the CL was slightly more appropriate for the off-road riding. Born in 1967, the CL components were initially available in kit to modify the CB450, while the stock model was officially released in 1968 with a new 5-speed gearbox, which upgraded the older 4-speed. When in 1970 the CB450 was provided with a front disc brake, the CL450 kept the drum brakes. The CL 450 was produced up until the 1974... Forty years later watching this bike is still a pleasure. 

from inazuma cafe.

Filson 4x4

You know how we feel about the Filson Brand (it's a little thing called love). Their products epitomize what we cherish about American-made goods, and when we found out that they were now fusing their brand into a Jeep, we knew a good thing just got better.
The offspring of two rugged American icons, the AEV Brute Double Cab Jeep sports the same values that Filson puts into every product. It's tough enough for earth’s most rugged environments, yet stylish enough to get a tip of the hat from any car enthusiast. It's an instant American classic.











Expedition-ready, this Brute Double Cab offers a 475 horsepower engine, 6.4 liter Hemi V8, and reinforced stamped steel bumpers. Its heat reduction hood and 35” BFGoodrich Mud Terrain Tires are necessary as it wields a 9,500 lb. WARN winch and 3.5” Dualsport SC Suspension System.
Looking to the interior, Filson's signature Horween leather coats the seating, while the doors are accented with durable Twill panels. With a Filson-specific, non-metallic dark green exterior paint, exterior and interior badging, and custom tonneau cover, this 4×4 is as sophisticated on the inside as it is muscular on the outside.
So whether you are looking to bear track in the backcountry or cast out near the stream, with the help of $130,000 in extra cash, you'll be scaling the backroads in no time.



























































Images ©Filson. from huckberry

Monsieur Belmondo, start your engine!

The French film daredevil and star of 'Breathless' was known for his action hero adventures; but it's less well known that Jean-Paul Belmondo also loved cars. No wonder he looks so pleased to be slipping into the driver's seat of a Matra...

An article for the French magazine 'Paris Match' brought together two of the nation's heroes: the photographer Philippe le Tellier and Jean-Paul Belmondo who, in the course of his acting life, would appear in some 85 films. The article gave the movie star and self-confessed car enthusiast the chance to taste the thrill of driving the prototype Matra. Unlike his American alter ego Steve McQueen, Jean-Paul Belmondo never actually raced, leaving that to his son Paul, who drove in Formula 1 in the 1990s. But among the treasures in his garage were a Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet, a Maserati Ghibli and even a Morgan 4/4. On Bebel's wrist (as the French affectionately nicknamed their action hero) was always a Rolex Daytona (recently sold at auction in Geneva). But what particularly impressed us was that, for his Matra experience, the star chose to wear not jeans and a leather jacket, but the outfit of a rather stylish gentleman with petrol in his blood. 

Photos: Philippe le Tellier/Paris Match

Classic Matras can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.