Hyundai, with an Accent…Hyundai, avec et sans Accent…

The encouraging debut of the Hyundai Accent WRC in Sweden in 2000 was eclipsed by maiden world class wins for the Peugeot 206 WRC and Marcus Grönholm.

After two seasons campaigning the surprising Hyundai Coupé in the so-called ‘F2’ world championship for two-litre cars, the Korean make turned its attention to the WRC’s top level in 2000. The programme was announced in September of the previous year and Britain’s MSD (Motor Sport Developments) was appointed to run it and develop the Accent WRC.

On paper, the car had plenty in its favour. Its length and track were identical to those of the Ford Focus and its wheelbase was similar to that of the 206. Meanwhile, its Mountune-prepared engine featured a Garrett turbo mated to a longitudinal X-Trac gearbox, and the machine was equipped with Ohlins dampers and Michelin tyres.

On February 10, 2000, two Accent WRCs rolled off the Swedish Rally start ramp in Karlstad, driven by local star Kenneth Eriksson (N°14) and Scotland’s Alister McRae (N°15). The pair faced stiff opposition from two Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIs, two Subaru Impreza WRCs, two Ford Focus RS WRCs, three Seat Cordoba WRCs and, above all, two 206 WRCs, with Peugeot looking to avenge their bitter disappointment on the recent Rallye Monte-Carlo.

Eriksson hit trouble on SS1 (‘Sagen’) which saw the Swede come 34^th, 50 seconds off the fastest time, while McRae completed the test in 15^th place, one second-per-kilometre down on Radström. Once his turbo problem had been resolved, Eriksson bounced back to claim four top-10 times and complete Day 1 in 17^th spot, two places clear of his team-mate who had been slowed by gearbox issues.

The two Hyundais went on to finish their debut outing in 13^th and 14^th places, but the media’s attention was above all focused on the maiden victory of the Peugeot 206 WRC in the hands of Grönholm after a thrilling battle with Tommi Mäkinen.

Although the Accent project’s chief engineer Nick Clipson made frequent modifications to the car, and despite the presence of some notoriously quick drivers like Kankkunen, Loix and Schwarz who secured some commendable results, the Accent WRC failed to finish on a WRC podium. It came close (one fourth place) and its performance positioned it between the day’s top WRC machines (Peugeot, Ford, Subaru) and the pack (Seat, Skoda, Mitsubishi WRC). The Accent WRC’s career came to an end after the 2003 Rally Australia.

More than a decade later, Hyundai’s comeback to the world championship is founded on radically different resources, but none of the mechanics or engineers from the Accent era are to be found at Hyundai-Shell WRT 2014, nor at M-Sport or Volkswagen…

Les débuts de la Hyundai Accent WRC au Rallye de Suède 2000 avaient été quelque peu éclipsés par la première victoire mondiale de la Peugeot 206 WRC et de Marcus Grönholm. Les résultats avaient pourtant été positifs.

Après deux saisons passées à courir après le titre mondial F2 (2-Litres) avec une improbable Hyundai Coupé, la marque coréenne s’était lancée parmi l’élite du WRC en 2000. L’annonce avait été effectuée en septembre 99 et la structure britannique MSD (Motor Sport Developments) avait été missionnée pour développer l’Accent WRC et gérer le programme.

Sur le papier, la Hyundai Accent WRC avait tout pour réussir : longueur et voies identiques à la Focus, empattement proche de la 206, moteur Montune, turbo Garrett, boîte de vitesse X-Trac en position longitudinale, suspensions Ohlins, pneus Michelin…

Le 10 février 2000, deux Accent WRC étaient sur le podium de départ du Rallye de Suède à Karlstad. Le Suédois Kenneth Eriksson portait le N°14, l’Ecossais Alister McRae le N°15. La concurrence s’annonçait rude pour ces débuts mondiaux avec deux Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, deux Subaru Impreza WRC, deux Ford Focus RS WRC, trois Seat Cordoba WRC et surtout deux Peugeot 206 WRC revanchardes après le camouflet du Monte-Carlo.

Première spéciale et premiers soucis pour Kenneth Eriksson, seulement 34^e à 50 secondes du meilleur temps, alors qu’Alister a bouclé Sagen en 15^e position à 1 s/km du leader Radström. Une fois les problèmes de turbo résolus, Eriksson est entré quatre fois dans le top-ten pour conclure la 1^ère journée au 17^e rang, tandis que son équipier (19^e) avait connu des ennuis de boîte de vitesses.

Pour leurs grands débuts, les Hyundai Accent WRC ont rallié l’arrivée en 13^e et 14^e positions, un peu dans l’anonymat médiatique général il faut l’avouer puisque Marcus Grönholm avait offert la 1^ère victoire mondiale à la Peugeot 206 WRC à l’issue d’un superbe duel avec Tommi Mäkinen.

Malgré des évolutions régulières proposées par l’ingénieur en chef Nick Clipson, des pilotes de pointe (Kankkunen, Loix, Schwarz) et quelques résultats très honorables, la Hyundai Accent WRC n’est jamais parvenue à se hisser sur un podium mondial. Il n’a pas manqué grand-chose (meilleur résultat 4^e), mais ses performances la plaçaient entre les meilleures WRC (Peugeot, Ford, Subaru) et le second peloton (Seat, Skoda, Mitsubishi WRC). Les graves problèmes financiers entre le siège coréen et MSD ont précipité la fin de l’Accent WRC dont la dernière apparition officielle remonte au Rallye d’Australie 2003.

Dix ans plus tard, le retour de Hyundai en WRC s’effectue dans des conditions et avec des moyens bien différents. Aucun « survivant », mécaniciens ou ingénieurs, de l’époque Accent ne fait partie du team Hyundai-Shell WRT 2014, pas même chez M-Sport ou Volkswagen…

A slow-motion shakedown / Un Shakedown au ralenti

Mads Ostberg, Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke topped the order on this morning’s shakedown. However, most drivers chose not to push too hard in order to save their studs…

The Priority 1 and 2 drivers have an allocation of 28 tyres for this week’s Rally Sweden, including shakedown. As a consequence, given the lack of snow on the stages, they preferred to take care of their studs during their mandatory four attempts at this morning’s test run.

Only Latvala, Ostberg and Meeke turned on a little speed in order to evaluate the handling of their respective cars as the conditions worsened progressively. The best time (1m55.8s) ended up in the Norwegian’s hands after he beat the Finn (1m56.2s) on his final pass.

Hyundai will be reassured with Neuville’s fifth place (1m58.0s) at his second attempt, just ahead of Irishman Craig Breen who is driving a WRC car (Ford) for the first time here. Henning Solberg (4th) and Juho Hanninen (7th) also squeezed beneath the two-minute mark.

World champion Sébastien Ogier was a lowly 10^th: “I wanted to be first into the stage this morning to see what I can expect tomorrow [Thursday]. That’s when I posted my best time, so it was a positive sign,” related last year’s rally Sweden winner. “After that, I just drove slowly to spare my tyres. This promises to be a very complex rally.”

The week began badly for Citroën’s Kris Meeke who clouted a stone and damaged his steering. “When you have a problem on shakedown, the rally always goes well,” commented the team’s Chief Engineer Didier Clément as he waited for the DS3 WRC’s return on a trailer.

There was lots of talk about the weather this morning. The latest forecast predicts overnight snow which could be up to 3cm deep on SS2 as it continues to fall on Thursday morning. Rain is then expected on Friday, followed by more snow on Saturday…

Competitors now face this evening’s super-special at Karlstad’s hippodrome (1.9km) at 7pm, just after the Historic competitors have been through. It could turn out to be the snowiest and iciest stage of the rally!

Mads Ostberg, Jari-Matti Latvala et Kris Meeke ont signé les meilleurs chronos du Shakedown, mais la plupart des pilotes ont préféré rouler sagement pour économiser leurs clous…

Les pilotes Prioritaires 1 & 2 disposent d’un quota de 28 pneumatiques pour le Shakedown et la course et, vu le faible enneigement dans les spéciales de Rallye de Suède 2014, ils ont pris la décision d’économiser leurs pneus cloutés ce matin sur les quatre passages obligatoires du Shakedown.

Seuls Jari-Matti Latvala, Mads Ostberg et Kris Meeke ont voulu insister pour jauger le comportement de leur voiture sur les pistes dégradées par les passages. Le Norvégien a fini par arracher le meilleur temps (1min55s8) des mains de Jari-Matti Latvala (1min56s2) à sa 4^e et dernière tentative.

Thierry Neuville a rassuré l’équipe Hyundai en réalisant le 5^e meilleur temps (1min58s0) à son second passage. Pour ses débuts sur une WRC, l’Irlandais Craig Breen a lui aussi été crédité d’1min58s4. Henning Solberg (4ème) et Juho Hanninen (7ème) sont également passés sous la barre des 2min00s.

Sébastien Ogier n’a réalisé que le 10^e meilleur temps : « J’ai voulu passer en 1^er pour voir les conditions qui m’attendent demain et c’est au 1^er passage que j’ai signé mon meilleur temps, donc c’est plutôt positif », racontait le champion du monde et vainqueur sortant en Suède. « Ensuite, on a roulé plus lentement pour économiser les pneus. Ce rallye s’annonce très compliqué ».

Le Rallye de Suède 2014 a mal commencé pour le pilote Citroën Kris Meeke qui a tapé une pierre et endommagé sa direction au Shakedown. « Quand on a des soucis au déverminage ou au Shakedown, le rallye se passe toujours bien », commentait l’ingénieur en chef Didier Clément en attendant le retour de la Citroën DS3 WRC sur la remorque.

Les conditions météo étaient au cœur des conversations ce matin. Les dernières prévisions prévoient des chutes de neige cette nuit et peut-être 3 cm dans l’ES2 demain matin. Il devrait neiger une bonne partie de la matinée. Ensuite, c’est la pluie qui est annoncée pour vendredi avant un retour de la neige samedi.

Ce soir, les concurrents vont disputer la Superspéciale (1,9 km) sur l’hippodrome de Karlstad à partir de 19h00, juste après les voitures historiques. C’est peut-être là qu’il y aura le plus de glace et de neige pendant le rallye !

Rétromobile guide 2014: What not to miss in Paris

The big Rétromobile week in Paris is almost upon us – and promises numerous special exhibits, a diverse range of cars for sale, and no fewer than three major auctions. We summarise what you shouldn’t miss at the show…

Special show themes: Land speed records, Alpines and Maharajas

In addition to the offerings of numerous dealers, some very special visitors are waiting in the wings of the Paris spectacular. One display will see daring mid-20s land-speed drivers John Parry-Thomas and Malcolm Campbell honoured: the streamlined machine ‘Babs’ (in which Parry-Thomas tragically lost his life) will show off its military bomber-sourced 27-litre V12, while Campbell’s 500HP Bluebird Napier will provide a static hint of its proven 175mph potential.

Elsewhere, paying tribute to Alpine founder Jean Rédélé, 13 prominent road and competition cars will be gathered from the collections of marque enthusiasts. The exhibition of Maharaja cars from the 20s and 30s promises to be even more majestic, with the famous ‘Swan Car’ heading up a list of 15 of these impressively customised creations. For further information, see retromobile.com.

Purchasable jewels – The best cars on sale

More than 420 exhibitors will present their wares, which include not only classic cars but also motorcycles, art, books, scale models and collectables. In anticipation, we’ve asked the dealers what they intend to bring to the floor here.

RM’s auction on Wednesday 5 February 2014

Although Artcurial has traditionally hosted the Rétromobile auction, 2014 will see RM attempt to gain a large slice of the action. The Canadian auction house will bring 10 Le Mans-style cars back to the country that hosts the world-famous endurance race – you can read more here. The previews take place on Tuesday 4 (11:00 – 22:00) and Wednesday 5 February (9:00 – 17:00), with the auction commencing at 19:00 on Wednesday.

All lots from RM’s Paris auction can be found in the Classic Driver Market.

Bonhams’ auction on Thursday 6 February 2014

The British auction house has previously used the Rétromobile sale as a springboard into the classic car season, and this year is no different. Notable lots include a lavishly restored 1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, a 1929 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix, and a 1989 Porsche 962C wearing Brun Motorsport’s Jägermeister livery. The consigners have also shown their humorous side, as you will see in our round-up of the oddest offerings from the Paris auctions.

Pre-sale viewings take place between 9:00 and 17:30 on Wednesday 5 February, and again on Thursday 6 February from 8:00 until the auction start. Automobilia lots begin at 10:30, with motorcycles at 12:30 and motor cars at 14:00.

All lots from Bonhams’ Paris auction can be found in the Classic Driver Market.

Artcurial auction on 7 and 8 February 2014

The final auction of the week is a double-header from Artcurial. The first day will see a 200-lot automobilia sale followed by a car and motorcycle sale at 16:00, with highights including a Ferrari 166MM with racing history and a rare Citroën SM Cabriolet. Adding to the list of more unusual cars being sold in Paris will be the mustard yellow Fiat Shelette by Philippe Stark.

All lots from Artcurial’s Paris auction in the Classic Driver Market.

The next day at 15:00, the intriguing ‘Solo Alfa’ auction will take place. More than 40 prominent cars from the marque’s history will go under the hammer, with highlights including a 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS and a 1965 Giulia TZ Coupé.

All lots from Artcurial’s ‘Solo Alfa’ auction in the Classic Driver Market.

BMW R1100GS BY CAFE RACER DREAMS

If you’re planning a trip to North Africa, you need a bike that is absolutely bulletproof. Pedro García knows how to take a motorcycle apart and rebuild it, and he’s made his living transforming everything from vintage Honda CBs to modern Triumph Scramblers. But for his impending trip to Morocco, he’s chosen a BMW GS.

Café Racer Dreams’ 42nd build is a BMW R1100GS with a difference. Strong and reliable, the GS is the perfect bike for rocky roads and long hours in the saddle. But it’s not going to win any beauty contests, and there are a helluva lot of them around. So Pedro couldn’t resist adding a little CRD magic to his own personal ride.

His first stop was designer Sylvain Berneron, better known as Holographic Hammer. Berneron sketched out a makeover for the 1998-year machine, and Pedro transformed the ink into metal.

The core of the bike is wisely unchanged, but Pedro stripped the frame back to the metal and refinished it with the toughest black powdercoat he could find. The exhaust system and seat unit are bespoke, and the stock oil cooler has been relocated high up into the airstream—just above the Ducati Monster S2R headlight and behind the Motogadget instrument. Eagle eyes will notice that the front fender has been trimmed down in size, and Pedro has also installed a fresh set of Continental TKC80 rubber.

It’s a build that doesn’t compromise the famed ruggedness of the GS, but adds a dash of Spanish flair. Who says custom bikes have to be impractical?

Check out previous CRD builds in the Bike EXIF Archives, and keep up with CRD’s news on their Facebook page or website.

via BIKEEXIF

1999 BMW R1100 GS

 

 by Officine Sbrannetti

Just introduced in Verona during the last Motor Bike Expo, here is the official photoshoot provided to Inazuma Cafe by Jody Basso and friends. Obviously in HD... Read the beautiful details of this bike in the rest of the post. 

 

The bike frame has been modified in the tail and new brackets have been built to mount the new custom gas tank, seat and rear fender. The tank comes from a Yamaha Tenerè 600. It has been shortened and reshaped in the lower part where there used to be fasteners for the front fairing . The electronic injection pump has been relocated outside, where the ABS control unit was located. The driver seat and the passenger one (removable) are entirely custom handmade. The luggage rack is handmade and works as a support for the passenger seat. The custom fenders are aluminum made: cut and finished by hand. The controls on the new Renthal handlebar have been completely renovated. The bike frame and the wheels have been powder coated. The engine was painted in house with Foliatec products suitable for high temperatures. The steel tank has been custom painted to maintain the metal finish. The instruments have been simplified and replaced. The front brake is from a BMW 1200GS. The Mivv exhaust system has been custom modified and changes made are reversible. The new battery with same performance has got reduced weight and size . The tires are Metzeler Karoo 3. The headlight is from a 1958 Same Super 68 tractor and houses the instruments’ lights. An auxiliary yellow beam headlight was also fitted: it’s an original vintage Lucas mounted on a custom built bracket. The oil cooler has been moved downwords behind the front wheel in order to keep clean the look of the engine. The gussets on the fork legs hide their excessive length due to telelever system, which is sufficiently hidden as well. A very difficult bike to modify, and such a good result for this young team of builders.

The Tractor and the Six Days by Officine Sbrannetti

Rally Sweden: The years ending in ‘4’ / Les années en « 4 »

Since the creation of the FIA World Rally Championship in 1973, something unexpected has always occurred at Rally Sweden when the year has ended in a ‘4’. The 1974 edition, for example, never even took place...

Inaugurated in 1950, Rally Sweden – Minadttsolrally – was initially a summer event. It was only in 1964 that it moved to a date in the middle of winter, in the forests of the Värmland region.

In 1973, the simultaneous fall in value of the dollar and outbreak of the Arab-Israeli War (October 6-24) triggered the first fuel crisis. Between the end of October 1973 and January 1974, the cost of a barrel of oil quadrupled. In France, Prime Minister Pierre Messmer introduced an official ban outlawing motorsport. This was only lifted by FFSA President Jean-Marie Balestre on December 10 – too late for the 1974 edition of Rallye Monte-Carlo to be organised. Sweden – whose energy dependency stood at 77 per cent at the beginning of the 1970s – found itself subject to severe rationing of oil and gas, meaning that, like the Monte Carlo, Rally Sweden had to be cancelled, too. The upshot was that the 1974 World Rally Championship only began in Portugal, in contrast to the F1 and Sportscar World Championships, which both went ahead as planned.

In 1984, home hero Stig Blomqvist achieved his seventh and last Rally Sweden success behind the wheel of his Audi Quattro A2, going on to clinch the Drivers’ crown the same year and enabling the Scandinavian country to celebrate its second world champion after Björn Waldegård in 1979. Indeed, Audis monopolised the top four places in Sweden in 1984, as Blomqvist led home Per Eklund, Michèle Mouton and Lasse Lampi. The result marked the German manufacturer’s fourth and final triumph at Rally Sweden.

In 1994, Rally Sweden did not feature on the world championship calendar. That meant the 43^rdedition of the event did not yield points towards either the main Drivers’ or Manufacturers’ classifications, counting solely for the 2-litre ‘Formula 2’ Championship. The Swedes remained masters of their own turf, however, with Thomas Radström winning outright in a Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD and Per Svan prevailing in the 2-litre class in an Opel Astra GSi 16V.

In 2004, there was astonishment in Värmland. For the first time in Rally Sweden’s 54-year existence, a Latin driver ascended the highest step of the rostrum. True, Sébastien Loeb took advantage of the dramas that afflicted his chief rivals Marcus Grönholm, Markko Martin and Petter Solberg, but the result nonetheless ensured that the Frenchman went down in history as the first non-Nordic driver to add his name to the event’s winners list, before compatriot Sébastien Ogier followed suit last year.

Since 1950, Swedish drivers have tallied 39 victories at Rally Sweden, with the rest shared between Finns (19), Frenchmen (two) and a Norwegian (one). So how about 2014? If history is anything to go by, something out-of-the-ordinary looks sure to happen...

Depuis la création du Championnat du monde des Rallyes en 1973, il sait toujours passé quelque chose de particulier les années en « 4 » au Rallye de Suède. A commencer par l’édition 1974 qui n’a pas eu lieu…

Créé en 1950, le Rallye de Suède – Minadttsolrally - était un rallye estival. Ce n’est qu’après 1964 que l’épreuve fut organisée en plein hiver dans les forêts du Värmland.

En 1973, la baisse simultanée du dollar et la Guerre du Kippour (6 au 24 octobre) ont provoqué le premier choc pétrolier. Entre fin octobre 1973 et janvier 1974, le prix du baril de pétrole a quadruplé. En France, le Premier ministre Pierre Messmer avait pris un arrêté interdisant le sport automobile. Cette interdiction fut levée par Jean-Marie Balestre, président de la FFSA, le 10 décembre, trop tard pour que le Rallye Monte-Carlo 1974 soit organisé.

La Suède, dont la dépendance énergétique atteignait 77% au début des années 1970, fut touchée par de sévères rationnements en pétrole et gaz. Comme le Monte-Carlo, le Rallye de Suède dut être annulé. Le Championnat du monde des Rallyes 1974 a donc débuté au Portugal, alors que les championnats mondiaux de F1 et de Voitures de Sport se sont déroulé normalement.

En 1984, le Suédois Stig Blomqvist a remporté son 7^e et dernier Rallye de Suède au volant de l’Audi Quattro A2 avant de décrocher le titre mondial cette même année. La Suède tenait son second Champion du monde après Bjorn Waldegard en 1979. Quatre Audi ont terminé aux quatre 1^ères places du Rallye de Suède 1984 avec Blomqvist, Per Eklund, Michèle Mouton et Lasse Lampi. Ce fut le 4^e et dernier triomphe d’Audi au Rallye de Suède.

En 1994, pas de Rallye de Suède au calendrier mondial. La 43^e édition du Rallye de Suède ne comptait ni pour le Championnat du monde Pilotes, ni pour le Championnat du monde Constructeurs, mais uniquement pour le Championnat 2-Litres. Les Suédois sont restés maîtres chez eux avec Thomas Radström, vainqueur du classement général sur une Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD, et Per Svan, vainqueur de la catégorie 2-Litres sur une Opel Astra GSi 16V.

En 2004, stupeur dans le Värmland. Pour la 1^ère fois depuis la création du Rallye de Suède en 1950, un Latin s’est imposé. Certes, Sébastien Loeb a profité des ennuis de ses rivaux Marcus Grönholm, Markko Martin et Petter Solberg, mais il restera dans l’histoire comme le 1^er non-nordique à inscrire son nom au palmarès, avant Sébastien Ogier l’an passé.

Depuis 1950, les Suédois ont remporté 39 victoires, les Finlandais 19, les Français 2 et les Norvégiens 1. Et 2014 ? Il va forcément se passer quelque chose d’historique !

5 forgotten facts about 1954

The debuts of the Mercedes ‘Gullwing’ and the Jaguar D-type meant that 1954 was a vintage year for motor cars – but as we discover here, there were also some wider-world happenings of interest taking place six decades ago…

Ernest Hemingway survives 2 plane crashes in as many days

Ernest Hemingway was blessed with an extraordinary writing ability, but his aviation fortunes were the polar opposite. During a trip to Africa in 1954, Hemingway’s plane crash-landed. The next day, he boarded another aircraft in search of medical help – only for it to explode on take-off. Incredibly, he survived this too, but the injuries he sustained (compounded by the burns he received in a bush fire later that year) attributed to the decline of his physical and mental health in later years.

Rock 'n' Roll is born

Many see 1954 as the dawn of the rock 'n' roll era, as it not only saw a young Elvis Presley make the transition from truck driver to worldwide superstar, but also the launch of the Fender Stratocaster. In addition, The Crows’ song ‘Gee’ – credited by genre authority Jay Warner as “the first rock 'n' roll hit by a rock 'n' roll band” – first charted in April, having been released a year earlier.

Godzilla: King of... the octopi?

Representing a metaphor for the nuclear weapons that were making the news at the time, Godzilla terrorised Japanese cinema-goers of 1954 (and a couple of years later, American audiences too). But it could all have been very different, had the special effects director had his way: rather than a reptile, he envisaged Godzilla as a giant octopus.

11 April 1954: The most boring day of the century

Back in 2010, Cambridge scientist William Tunstall-Pedoe fed a self-constructed computer programme three million newsworthy facts about ‘people, places, businesses and events’, and determined that 11 April 1954 was outstanding only for its insignificance. Bar a general election in Belgium and the birth of a Turkish academic named Abdullah Atalar, the date was said to be the most ‘exceptionally boring’ of the 20th Century, according to Tunstall-Pedoe.

Marilyn Monroe and 'that' dress

It was in 1954 that Marilyn Monroe and her ivory cocktail dress had their legendary ‘encounter’ with a ventilation grate. The image would not only prove to be one of the most memorable of the 20th Century, but also cause the disagreement with husband Joe DiMaggio that would eventually lead to their divorce later that year. In 2011, against an estimate of $1-2 million, the now-ecru dress fetched $5.6 million – thought to be a record price paid for an item of clothing.

Photos: Getty Images

A land of melting snow / Et fond la neige…

After the pristine wintry conditions that marked last week’s pre-event tests, positive temperatures in recent days have completely transformed the 2014 Rally Sweden landscape. The thermometer is expected to fluctuate between -2°C and +2°C this week.

This time last week, there were 40cm of snow as temperatures dipped to -10°C in the Hagfors region. Today, the different photos that can be seen on Facebook and Twitter reveal a distinct lack of the white stuff on the local gravel tracks. Indeed, during the 350km drive from Stockholm to Karlstad, we saw very little snow in the fields and, at 5pm today, the thermometer read 2°C as we arrived at Rally HQ in the brand new Congress & Culture Center (CCC) by the barely iced-over River Klarälven.

“’Torsby’ (SS2/7) and 'Kirkener' (SS3/5) are very muddy,” explained a Michelin technician after scouting the Norwegian part of the route today. “'Finnskogen' (SS4/6) is still fairly icy but the picture is changing very rapidly. There is talk of snow on Wednesday night but the weather should stay relatively mild and we could see rain on Friday and Saturday.” For the moment, however, the organisers don’t appear to be unduly worried…

It’s tough to predict what the ideal start position will be on Day 1 (Thursday) when competitors head for 62km of stages in Norway, without service. Could Sébastien Ogier – who will be first on the road – benefit from relatively good conditions? Or will he end up clearing a better line for his rivals? And in what state will the roads be for the second pass? The format of this year’s Rally Sweden features just 62km of competitive action on Day 1, but there will be almost twice that distance on Friday, and 142km on Saturday, so we could end up having an exciting finish…

Shakedown starts at 8am tomorrow (Wednesday) and will provide an initial idea of the pecking order. With Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen defending its colours, Volkswagen seems to be in a strong position, despite not having organised a test ahead of the season’s second round after its session in December. In contrast, Hyundai-Shell WRT followed up its week in 2013 with another two-day run at the beginning of the month.

Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi WRT also tested last week, with Kris Meeke and Mads Ostberg both on duty. The Briton, who has spent hours watching in-car footage of Loeb in Sweden, soon found his marks in the DS3 WRC and posted some promising times, while Mads Ostberg can hardly wait for the event to start…

In the M-Sport camp, four days of testing were planned for Hirvonen, Evans, Kubica and Ford privateers like Tidemand, Solberg and Tanak. After completing recce, Hirvonen described ‘Lesjofors’ and ‘Hara’ as impossible to drive. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to follow the battle between Solberg (16^th Rally Sweden start) and his son-in-law Tidemand, which will also be a fight between the WRC’s two most successful tyre manufacturers!

Les conditions étaient parfaites lors des tests la semaine passée, mais les températures positives de ces derniers jours ont complètement transformé les spéciales du Rallye de Suède 2014. Les prévisions annoncent entre -2°C et 2°C cette semaine.

Et dire qu’il y avait 40 cm de neige et -10°C la semaine dernière dans la région d’Hagfors…Aujourd’hui, les différentes photos postées sur Facebook et Twitter montrent des pistes en terre à peine enneigées. Sur les 350 km qui séparent Stockholm et Karsltad, nous avons vu que très peu de neige dans les champs bordant la E18. A 17h00, il faisait 2°C quand nous sommes arrivés au Rally HQ basé dans le tout nouveau « CCC » (Congress & Culture Center) qui se dresse sur les bords de la rivière Klarälven à peine glacée.

« Torsby (ES2/7) et Kirkener (ES3/5) sont même carrément boueuses », explique un technicien Michelin après avoir effectué les reconnaissances de la partie norvégienne aujourd’hui. « Finnskogen (ES4/6) était encore bien verglacée, mais les conditions changent très rapidement. On annonce des chutes de neige dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi, mais les températures devraient rester douces et ça pourrait même virer à la pluie vendredi et samedi. » Pour l’heure, les organisateurs ne semblent pas inquiets…

Bien difficile de dire quelle position sera la meilleure le 1^er jour, une étape qui emmènera les concurrents en Norvège pour 62 km chronométrés sans assistance jeudi. Sébastien Ogier, qui ouvrira la route, va-t-il profiter de pistes encore praticables ? Ou au contraire, va-t-il faire la trace pour ses concurrents ? Et quel sera l’état des pistes au second passage ? Le découpage de ce Rallye de Suède 2014 est un peu particulier avec 62 km de spéciales le 1^er jour, près du double le 2^e jour et 142 km chronométrés samedi. Le suspense pourrait donc se prolonger...

Le Shakedown programmé demain à partir de 8h00 livrera un 1^er aperçu des forces en présence. Avec « Seb », « JML » et « Handsome One », l’équipe Volkswagen part bien armée. D’ailleurs, elle n’avait pas prévu d’essais supplémentaires avant cette 2^e manche de la saison, après ceux du mois de décembre dernier. Après une semaine d’essais fin 2013, l’équipe Hyundai-Shell WRT avait de son côté programmé deux jours supplémentaires début février.

Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi WRT était aussi en tests la semaine dernière avec Kris Meeke et Mads Ostberg. Le Britannique, qui a passé des heures à regarder des caméras embarquées de Loeb en Suède, a rapidement trouvé ses marques au volant de la DS3 WRC et signé des chronos très, très prometteurs. Quant à Mads Ostberg, il n’a jamais été aussi prêt…

Chez Ford, on avait prévu quatre jours de roulage pour Mikko, Elfyn, Robert et tous les « clients » ; Pontus Tidemand, Henning Solberg, Ott Tanak… A l’issue des reconnaissances, Mikko Hirvonen expliquait que les spéciales de Lesjofors et Hara étaient « inconduisibles ». On suivra avec attention le match entre Henning Solberg – 16^e participation – et son beau-fils Pontus Tidemand sur fond de bagarre entre les deux manufacturiers de pneumatiques les plus capés du WRC !

BLITZ R100 TRACKER

There are Boxer customs and then there are Blitz Boxer customs. Ubercool Parisians Fred & Hugo have not only mastered the art of taking BMWs agricultural workhorse and turning into a svelte streetbike, they’ve re-invented the phenomenon several times over, and blew us all away when they snuck a Honda tank, complete with Honda badge onto a BMW custom in the BMW museum. These guys have more front than Brighton.

Sticking a small, classic, Honda CB125s tank onto the chunky boxer frame and bulbous opposing twin transforms the bike from chunky heavyweight into a brawny Welterweight fighter, but the Blitz builds are not just about a tank-swap, it’s the whole stance, and the detail too.

The whole silhouette of the bike provides an old school scrambler vibe, with the flat seat and upswept, wide crosser style bars. The bike also looks skeletal and light, without the OEM Beemer toaster tank kissing the top of the engine cases and the curvy airbox or battery.

The wire spoked wheels are also a beautiful touch, although we have to confess we’re not sure where they’re from, but looking at the where the spokes attach to the rims they look like modern BMW tubeless rims.

The carbs run proper race style paper filters, which work a lot better than metal cones. The pipes are also very different from the usual fare in the cafe/custom scene, yes, they’re wrapped – in white – but the use of flared modern stubby end cans suits the stocky stance.

And on to the detail we mentioned… When you look closely, there are micro-switches, super minimal lighting, side-mounted instruments, and a modest little oil cooler, and there a tiny battery tucked under the slimline flat brat-style seat.

So our cards are on the table. We just subjectively like this bike. The Honda badge on the tiny tank will annoy all sorts of people, and some are just fed up with seeing another Boxer twin, but we think this build is the epitome of what this modern custom scene is all about; understated cool on a recycled bike that’s been turned from a plodding hairy work-horse to a handsome show-jumper. Some people won’t get it, but that’s a good thing, otherwise everyone will want one. Thanks to Fred & Hugo for the hi-res photos.