ACE CAFE RADIO

    samedi 5 avril 2014

    Rossi: "As long as I can I will be racing bikes"


    Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, QAT RAC
    In addition to revealing to Sky Italia that he is keen to extend his Yamaha deal for another year, Valentino Rossi also gave an insight into his rivalries, his successors, and what life after MotoGP might bring.
    The hot topic was of course his renewed battle with Marquez – what he thought about the World Champion, and whether he is worried that his records will be broken some day: "He's really good, it makes me worry, but he’s also a nice guy and is always ready to fight. He’s someone who knows how to ride the bike very well and has a great desire to win always, to be out in front – so he's a great opponent.
    "It would take a long time [to break my record], but he has the potential to do so. I do not know if it will bother me if he does, for now it's not close, and he yet has to win many races."
    On his relationship with Lorenzo, which has seemingly improved drastically from its rocky past, Rossi said: "It's good. We have grown a lot together, we were very obnoxious in the past, but now there is a great deal of respect. It lets us both work together to improve the Yamaha. Of course I am his first opponent and he is my first. But I like to be team-mate to Lorenzo, I hope he stays with Yamaha."
    Many great battles were fought between Lorenzo and Rossi in the past, which brings up memories of more great fights and rivals Rossi has had over the years: "I've had so many: Capirossi in 250, then in 500 Biaggi, Gibernau, Capirossi again, then Lorenzo, Stoner, Pedrosa – now there's Marquez. They always become a little bit stronger."
    Once he does finally hang up his leathers, he’s confident that the Italian flag will be well represented: "There are so many strong Italian riders in my opinion. I would say Fenati, Antonelli, Bagnaia, Morbidelli, and there's my brother who will do the CEV, Bulega, and I forget some. However, there are at least 10 that could potentially be my successors."
    Two of the aforementioned are of course in the Rossi-supported team, Sky Racing Team VR46, this year in Moto3™. Qatar may not have gone as planned, though Rossi is pleased with how things have gone so far. "I am very satisfied, we're having fun with the team working with Sky. We have put a team of the highest level around Fenati and Bagnaia. I must say that in the first race, especially Fenati, disappointed a little as we expected much more from him – because he has the potential. But we are a new team, and we need some time to break-in."
    Once and if this young talent takes his place, Rossi does not rule out a switch to rallying – a series he has in the past shown much interest in: "I love it, it’s my great passion. I driven the cars, I’ve done rallying, the Monza Rally at the end of the year. I also did the World Rally Championship, but I decided that as long as I can I will be racing bikes. Then I'll see."


    Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, QAT FP2 - © Copyright Scott Jones, PHOTO.GP
    Au cours de sa récente interview sur Sky Italia, Valentino Rossi a affirmé son intention de prolonger chez Yamaha mais a aussi parlé de ses anciens et de ses nouveaux adversaires ainsi que de ce qui pourrait l’attendre après le MotoGP™.
    L’un des sujets abordés dans sa récente interview télévisée avec Sky Italia a été Marc Márquez, le Champion du Monde en titre, avec lequel Rossi s’est battu pour la victoire au Qatar lors de la première manche de la saison 2014. 
    « Il est très bon et ça m’inquiète un peu mais c’est aussi un quelqu’un de bien et il est toujours prêt à se battre, » a affirmé le nonuple Champion du Monde. « C’est quelqu’un qui sait vraiment comment piloter sa moto et qui a un véritable désir de toujours gagner et d'être devant. C’est donc un grand adversaire. »
    « Ça prendrait du temps (que Márquez batte les records de Rossi) mais il a le potentiel de le faire. Je ne sais pas si ça me dérangerait, pour l’instant il en est encore loin et il lui reste beaucoup de victoires à remporter. »
    Au sujet de sa relation avec Lorenzo, les choses se passent visiblement beaucoup mieux depuis l’an dernier entre les deux stars de Yamaha. « Ça se passe bien. Nous avons beaucoup évolué ensemble, nous avions une relation difficile par le passé mais il y a maintenant beaucoup de respect entre nous deux. Cela nous permet de travailler ensemble pour améliorer la Yamaha. Je suis évidemment son premier adversaire et c’est le mien. Mais j’aime avoir Lorenzo comme coéquipier, j’espère qu’il restera chez Yamaha. »
    Si Lorenzo a été l’un de ses plus grands rivaux, Rossi n’oublie cependant pas les autres et a ajouté : « J’en ai eu beaucoup : Capirossi en 250, puis Biaggi, Gibernau et encore Capirossi en 500, puis Lorenzo, Stoner, Pedrosa et maintenant il y a Márquez. Ils deviennent tout le temps un peu plus forts. »
    Quand l’heure sera venue de mettre fin à sa carrière de pilote moto, Rossi restera probablement dans le paddock dans un nouveau rôle et espère voir un de ses jeunes compatriotes prendre sa relève : « Je crois qu’il y a beaucoup de bons pilotes italiens. Je dirais Fenati, Antonelli, Bagnaia, Morbidelli, il y a aussi mon frère qui va courir dans le CEV, Bulega et j’en oublie. Il y a au moins une dizaine de pilotes qui pourraient être mes possibles successeurs. »
    « Je suis très content et nous faisons quelque chose de bien avec le team, en collaboration avec Sky, » a ajouté Rossi au sujet du Sky Racing Team by VR46, lancé cette année avec Romano Fenati et Francesco Bagnaia, qui courent sur KTM en Moto3™. « Nous avons mis en place une équipe de haut niveau autour de Fenati et Bagnaia. Je dois dire que la première course a été décevante, surtout pour Fenati parce que nous attendions un peu plus de lui. Il a le potentiel mais nous sommes une nouvelle équipe et nous avons besoin d’un peu plus de temps. »
    En dehors de ses projets visant à promouvoir les jeunes talents italiens, Rossi poursuivra certainement sa carrière de pilote dans une autre discipline, très probablement sur quatre roues : « J’adore le rallye, c’est ma grande passion. J’ai déjà roulé avec plusieurs types de voitures, en rallye, au Monza Rally Show à la fin de l’année. J’ai aussi couru dans le Championnat du Monde des Rallyes (WRC) mais j’ai décidé que je continuerai la moto tant que je le pourrai. Nous verrons le reste plus tard. »

    Leg 2 - 2014 WRC Rally de Portugal

    Enjoy the highlights from the second leg of Rally de Portugal dominated by Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen/Michelin)


    Leg 2: Game over in Portugal? / Etape 2 : Ogier siffle la fin de la récré


    With a score of five stage wins from six today, Sébastien Ogier (VW/Michelin) has not only recovered first place in Portugal but has also gone 38.1s clear of Mikko Hirvonen (2nd, Ford). Mads Ostberg (Citroën) is up to third, ahead of Dani Sordo (Hyundai) who makes it four different makes in the top four places.
    Ogier, last year’s Rally de Portugal winner, enjoyed a near-perfect run in the Algarve today. He began the morning trailing the overnight leader Hirvonen by 6.5s but, by the end of SS9, the longest of the week (31.90km, ‘Santana Serra’), he was back in front. From that moment on, there was nobody to match the Volkswagen star’s pace.
    “My car has been perfect and our tyres choices [soft-compound Michelin Latitude Cross S2] were correct all day,” noted the Frenchman who is 38.1s clear of Hirvonen. The Finn followed up his strong run on Friday with another solid performance this morning, but then lost contact during this afternoon’s loop. He is still almost a minute clear of third-placed Ostberg, though, and should be able to defend his position until Sunday’s finish.
    Yesterday evening, just one-tenth of a second split Ostberg (Citroën DS3 WRC) and Sordo (Hyundai i20 WRC) but the Norwegian has since succeeded in shaking off the Spaniard who is now 20 seconds off a podium position with only 43.87km of competitive action remaining. Henning Solberg (Ford) was promoted to fifth place when Thierry Neuville (7th, Hyundai) suffered a broken suspension on today’s final stage. The Belgian is currently 14.9s short of Andreas Mikkelsen who has climbed to provisional sixth.
    Ott Tanak crashed out of third place on SS10 and Robert Kubica was eliminated by an ‘off’ (on SS9) for the second day running.
    The WRC-2 is led by Nasser Al-Attiyah (Ford/Michelin) who eased clear when Jari Ketomaa (Ford) had a power steering problem on SS11. The Finn is only 11.2s behind, however. There’s an interesting fight developing for place, too, since Pontus Tidemand and Karl Kruuda are covered by just 4.4s.
    Après cinq spéciales remportées sur six aujourd’hui, Sébastien Ogier (VW/Michelin) a repris la tête du rallye et creusé un écart de 38s1 sur Mikko Hirvonen (Ford). Mads Ostberg (Citroën) est troisième devant Dani Sordo (Hyundai). Quatre marques différentes composent le top-five.
    Le vainqueur sortant a vécu une belle 2e journée en ce Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2014. Classé 3e hier soir à 6s5 du leader Hirvonen, Sébastien Ogier a repris la tête du rallye à l’issue de l’ES9, Santana Serra, la plus longue spéciale de l’épreuve (31,90 km). A partir de là, personne n’a pu suivre le rythme du pilote Volkswagen qui a creuse l’écart à grands coups de meilleurs temps.
    « La voiture était parfaite et nous avons effectué les bons choix de pneus (Michelin Latitude Cross S2 soft) aujourd’hui », résumait le leader qui compte 38s1 sur Mikko Hirvonen. Après une brillante 1ère étape, le Finlandais a bien résisté ce matin, mais il a lâché prise dans la boucle de l’après-midi. Mikko compte néanmoins près d’une minute d’avance sur le 3e, Mads Ostberg, et devrait logiquement maintenir sa position.
    Ce matin, 1/10e de seconde séparaient Mads Ostberg (Citroën DS3 WRC) de Dani Sordo (Hyundai i20 WRC). Le Norvégien a peu à peu pris l’ascendant sur l’Espagnol et dispose ce soir de 20 secondes d’avance. Il reste 43,87 km chronométrés. Henning Solberg (5e, Ford) ferme le top-five après les déboires de Thierry Neuville (7e, Hyundai) dans la dernière spéciale (suspension arrière cassée), mais il ne compte que 14s9 d’avance sur Andreas Mikkelsen remonté à la 6e place.
    Ott Tanak était 3e sur sa Ford avant de sortir dans l’ES10, alors que Robert Kubica a de nouveau effectué une touchette (ES9). En WRC-2, Nasser Al-Attiyah (Ford/Michelin) a pris les rênes après les soucis de direction assistée de Jari Ketomaa (Ford) dans l’ES11. Mais le Finlandais n’est qu’à 11s2. La bagarre n’est pas terminée non plus pour la 3e place puisqu’il n’y a que 4s4 d’écart entre Pontus Tidemand et Karl Kruuda.

    BMW unscripted. Tiffany Coates.


    REBORN CUSTOMS BLACK BELT


    Reborn Black Belt 1
    The Black Belt. An achievement only acquired through intense training, practice and passion. A sign of ones dedication and fortitude and yet a thinly veiled warning, do not mess, you will lose. It is a title that this bike bares with pride, for its owner is an instructor in Krav Maga, a self defence system developed for the Israeli Military that combines various martial artforms for real world situations. This bike is a two wheeled manifestation and tribute to its pilot’s craft.
    Reborn Black Belt 2
    Black Belt was built by André Pinheiro out of his newly established Reborn Custom Motorcycle workshop. Hailing from Porto, André came to London at 18 to study Automotive Engineering at Kingston University before returning to Portugal to work for Audi. Changing his life to start Reborn motorcycles has been a project firmly routed in his mind for many a year and in 2013 André took the plunge and embarked on his new mission, to build exclusive and unique motorcycles.
    Reborn Black Belt 3
    Black Belt is based on a 96′ Honda CB750, these later CB’s are proving solid donors and are yielding some mighty compelling results. André’s starter bike was in good shape and the engine was fine, but in the pursuit of perfection it was rebuilt and painted anyway. The carbs were rejetted, a new exhaust was specifically fabricated and the rear shocks dropped a few inches.
    Reborn Black Belt 4
    André chopped and rebuilt the rear frame to accommodate two different tail sections that he describes as Sport and Classic. Sport is single pilot mode and Classic allows for a plus one. The rear lights are a Tron esque row of LEDs that work with either set up. The central box, dashboard and seat units were all hand fabricated out of aluminium by André.
    Reborn Black Belt 5
    The front visage of the bike is where André got creative. Can you guess the origin of the super snazzy front cowling? It houses the Motogadget instrumentation and sits above the LED halo ringed headlight. Figured it out yet? It came from the helmet of choice of the owner, Shark’s curious take on an urban warrior come computer game character’s head protection, the Shark Raw. The chin guard and goggles have been inverted and reimagined to form the screen and instrument housing. Brilliant. We would love to see a head-on shot with the rider, chin on tank, in a matching (correct way up) helmet.
    Reborn Black Belt 6
    The brake and clutch lines are shrouded by a black webbing that would be befitting of the equipment within the gym in which the bike was photographed. André’s creativity and originality for the face of the bike can only be applauded.
    Reborn Black Belt 7
    Heidenau k73 super rain tyres stick the beast to the road and complete its hardcore yet practical personality. The all black finish, flavoured by flashes of red, gives the CB an almost Knight-Rider “Kit” style, and considering the vigilante appropriate skills of its rider, suit the bike perfectly.
    Reborn Black Belt 8
    André would like to thank Tzi Design’s Tó Zé and Alfredo Zuzarte for the paint, Motoluar for electrics and Diogo Losa for the photographs.
    We hope to see more from Reborn Customs here on the Bike Shed. Meanwhile see more of André’s work onFacebook

    August Porsche Addiction: A Porsche for every season


    Pierre Breda, owner of August Porsche Addiction in Belgium, had the well-timed idea for his company around seven years ago. Today, his single-marque dealership – which he runs together with Pierre Jambers – is considered a mecca for Belgian Porsche enthusiasts…

    Belgium’s Porsche institution

    Dealers that predict a niche increasing in popularity while offering first-class service will never struggle to sell cars. Pierre Breda opened his 911-focused dealership in the quaint Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, pre-empting the rising fortunes of the model that weren’t as apparent in the Benelux countries in the mid-2000s.

    RS 2.7s in abundance

    Seven years later, the two Pierres are riding on the wave of their well-judged prediction. Since December 2013, they have sold no fewer than seven authentic 2.7 RSs – a fact we might have struggled to believe, had we not encountered two examples of the 70s legend at rest within the workshop during our visit. “The difficulty isn’t in selling an original RS – we have customers queuing up,” explains Pierre Jambers. “The challenge is in sourcing good, original cars.”

    Racing in the blood

    The 2.7s aren’t the only traces of Porsche motorsport to be found within the impressive building. Between 2002 and 2008, Pierre Breda himself raced Porsches – and August Porsche Addiction considers itself a 911 GT3 authority as a result. But it’s a 993-gen Works racing machine currently in stock that Breda takes the most pride in.
    “All the cars we offer have been bought by us – we don’t deal with consignments, and this means we can avoid selling bad cars,” Breda assures us. “We do, however, stock the occasional non-Zuffenhausen car if it is in top condition.” Examples include a Ferrari Testarossa with a mere 6,000km, a BMW Baur Convertible with 50,000km, and a fully restored MK1 Golf GTi, attractively priced at €18,000. “We  undertake minor repairs and prepare our cars within our own workshop,” adds Breda. “If a car needs attention to the engine or body panels, we’ll call on one of our trusted external partners.”

    Welcome to the club

    The business operation seems rather well-rounded: as well as the obvious marque expertise, personal passion and on-site shop for literature, detailing products and other accessories, the company will soon also boast an official Swizöl franchise. Furthermore, a private members' club sees the two Pierres hold a track day at Spa-Francorchamps for their clients six times a year. Or you could always drop into August Porsche’s house bar, with plenty of enthusiastic conversation no doubt turning that single beer into a grand toast... not only to the great marque, but also to the blessing of foresight.
    Photos: Jan Richter
    Cars currently being offered for sale via August Porsche Addiction can be found in the Classic Driver Market.

    KUSTOM RESEARCH CX500


    KR CX500 1
    Honda’s CX500 has seen a huge renaissance in the last few years thanks to buidlers and customisers using them as donor bikes.  The quirky liquid cooled V-twin provides a cheaper alternative to BMW’s Boxer engine with similar levels of bullet-proof reliability.  As a result it’s becoming harder to snap up cheap ones in good condition as the old courier hacks, winter commuters and abandoned projects come out of the woodwork seeking a premium price.  Luckily there still a few bargains to be had out there and Thomas Parrish of Kustom Research sourced this ’78 bike from a chap who’d hit the creative, financial or talent wall with his attempt to build a Cafe Racer.
    KR CX500 2
    Everything that could be unbolted had been, except for the tank, and the wiring loom had been spliced, diced and sliced ensuring many hours of work before the engine would run. Thomas had his work cut out as not only would he have to build something from the remains but the scrutineer would be his girlfriend Cristin, as she was training for her bike test and needed a cool ride for when she passed. No pressure then!
    KR CX500 3
    Thomas set to with the buzz saw and chopped the rear subframe and made a new loop to support the hand fabricated steel tail and seat pan, before adding foam and upholstering it, teaching himself to sew in the process. The messy wiring loom was binned and replaced with a modified version hiding under the seat alongside a custom battery box. The indicators are machined aluminium with the fronts incorporated into the modified Harley headlight unit.  The Koso digi-dash lives on a custom bracket surrounded by a mix of more modern Kawasaki ZX10 levers and switchgear, mounted to in-house-fabricated clipons and billet bar ends.
    KR CX500 4
    The forks have been upgraded with Progressive Suspension springs and the rear shocks are new Emgo units.  Avon Roadriders look crisp on the freshly refurbed 5 spoke mags.  Front braking has been beefed up by using a ZX10R master cylinder and a new calliper.
    KR CX500 5
    The exhaust is, you guessed it, fabbed by Thomas. Neat bends meet at a shorted ZX10 silencer under the engine.  Either there’s a crashed Kawasaki in the corner of Thomas’ workshop or he has a penchant for marque inbreeding when choosing upgraded parts.  Failing that the lathe, mill and knurling machine get a workout. Foot pegs, shifter and rear brake are hewn from billet ally rather than lifted from a catalogue.
    KR CX500 6
    The fuel tank has had the badge recesses filled and a Yamaha R1 cap grafted on.  The finish was raw, take a look at the Kustom Research website and you’ll see it in pre-paint stage.  At this point girlfriend Cristin had passed her test and was presented with the ‘finished’ bike and sent up the road for a shakedown ride, Thomas proudly standing back to admire 5 months of hard work. She returned with a beaming smile and a question, “So, when can we paint it?”  Back to the garage it was for a long session of powder coating and painting, again, nothing was sent off, all work was carried out at Kustom Research HQ.  With the CX’s engine being so prominent Thomas wanted it to blend with the rest of the components so tied the colours of the tank and wheels with the crank case, transmission, cylinders and even the carbs.
    KR CX500 7
    With paint still tacky a temporary photo studio was set up in the back of the worksop to provide the images you see here. And yup, you guessed it again, Thomas employed himself to learn photography and Photoshop 101.  As a reward for all this endeavour, Cristin has decided she’d like to go faster and bought another bike!  So if you’d like to buy the CX, drop Kustom Research a line.
    See more from Kustom Research on the Bike Shed KR pagetheir Website or Thomas’s Blog, or you can email him HERE.

    EWC: a two-day pre-Bol d’Or workout for the teams / Bol d’Or : les équipes au travail pendant deux jours


    The majority of the teams entered for the 78th Bol d’Or were at Magny-Cours, France, for a two-day pre-race test on Monday and Tuesday. The riders benefited from pleasant weather as they worked through their respective programmes.
    Although there was no official timing, the discipline’s top teams appeared to be pleased with the way their two days went in central France. Their programmes were practically identical and focused essentially on bike set-ups, fuel consumption and tyre testing following the introduction of a new rule which restricts the number of tyres that may be used during the race to 45.
    The 2013 vice-champion GMT 94 attended with all four riders, namely David Checa, Kenny Foray, Mathieu Gines and Lucas Mahias who completed a high number of laps in search of valuable data ahead of the 2014 FIM Endurance World Championship’s curtain-raiser. “We worked chiefly on tyre testing,” reported team boss Christophe Guyot. “Because of the new restrictions, we won’t be able to change rubber each time we stop. Our tyres work well, however, and our Yamaha R1 seems competitive, too, but there’s still plenty to do before the Bol d’Or. We can’t afford to overlook anything if we want to fight up front with the others.”
    Kawasaki SRC, which has won the last two Bol d’Ors, still has to announce the name of its third rider. World Superbike racer Fabien Forêt was at Magny-Cours but has not yet been confirmed as part of the team’s line-up alongside Grégory Leblanc, Matthieu Lagrive and Nicolas Salchaux. Indeed, the Bol d’Or clashes with round three of the WSBK at Assen and Kawasaki Europe has yet to take a decision. The four riders posted similar lap times but the team says further work is required.
    Honda, too, is positive about the test which brought the Japanese make’s busy programme to an end. Sébastien Gimbert, Freddy Foray and Julien Da Costa completed more than 450 laps between them as they worked on tyres and sought to optimise the set-up and fuel consumption of their machine.
    The 2013 world champion SERT (N°1 Suzuki) followed a similar game plan with Vincent Philippe, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin, but Anthony Delhalle was absent due to a shoulder blade injury.
    Despite the satisfaction expressed by the teams, it is difficult to draw any conclusions after the two days, especially since the weather won’t necessarily be as mild when they return to the French track in three weeks’ time.
    MotoRacingLive will be up and running at Magny-Cours from Thursday, April 24, to bring you live coverage of the first free practice session.
      
    La majorité des équipes inscrites à la 78ème édition du Bol d’Or était présente lundi et mardi sur le circuit de Magny-Cours pour deux jours d’essais. Les teams ont pu profiter d’une météo plutôt clémente pour boucler leur programme de tests.
    Malgré l’absence de chrono officiel, les top teams participant à ces deux journées d’essais officiels se sont montrés satisfaits. Leur programme était quasi-identique, réglages moto et tests pneumatiques compte tenu de la nouvelle réglementation limitant à 45 le nombre de pneus pendant la course.
    Vice-champion du monde en 2013, le GMT 94 était venu au complet avec ses quatre pilotes, David Checa, Kenny Foray, Mathieu Gines et Lucas Mahias. L’équipe de Christophe Guyot a bouclé beaucoup de tours et repart avec de précieuses informations pour préparer la première course du Championnat du monde d’Endurance (EWC). « Nous nous sommes davantage focalisés sur les tests pneumatiques. Avec la nouvelle limitation, nous ne pourrons plus changer chaque train à chaque relais » explique Christophe. « Les pneus fonctionnent bien et notre Yamaha R1 aussi mais il nous reste encore du travail pour la course, rien n’est figé. Il ne va falloir oublier aucun détail si l’on souhaite rivaliser avec les meilleurs. »
    Vainqueur des deux dernières éditions du Bol d’Or, Kawasaki SRC est encore dans l’attente de son troisième pilote. Présent à Magny-Cours, Fabien Foret, engagé en Championnat du monde Superbike (WSBK), n’est pas confirmé.  Le Bol d’Or se tenant en même temps que la troisième épreuve du WSBK à Assen, la décision revient à Kawasaki Europe. Les quatre pilotes présents (Grégory Leblanc, Matthieu Lagrive et Nicolas Salchaux) ont signé des chronos homogènes. Les principaux points de développement ont été validés même s’il reste encore du travail sur le comportement de la machine.
    On positive également du côté de chez Honda. Magny-Cours venait clôturer le programme d’essais bien chargé du constructeur japonais. Sébastien Gimbert, Freddy Foray et Julien Da Costa ont parcouru plus de 450 tours afin d’optimiser les sets-up, la consommation d’essence et les choix pneumatiques.
    Champion du monde en titre, le SERT a poursuivi le même tableau de marche. Privé d’Anthony Delhalle, blessé à la clavicule, Vincent Philippe, Erwan Nigon et Damian Cudlin se sont partagés le guidon de la Suzuki n°1.
    Malgré la satisfaction des teams, il est difficile de tirer des conclusions sachant que chaque équipe a travaillé sur un programme bien défini (réglages, consommation, tests pneus,…). Le facteur climatique est un élément important à prendre en considération. Les pilotes ne bénéficieront peut-être pas de conditions aussi clémentes pour la course dans trois semaines.
    MotoRacingLive vous donne rendez-vous dès le jeudi 24 avril pour suivre en direct les essais libres.    

    PORSCHE 550 SPYDER CUTAWAY


    porsche 550 spyder e1334649254922 Porsche 550 Spyder Cutaway
    The level of spatial awareness needed to hand draw a cutaway like this, a work by Shin Yoshikawa, blows my mind.
    Click the image for the slightly larger version.

    Techno Classica 2014: Dinner is served


    Techno Classica Essen 2014: Porsche 911 Classic on the Early 911S stand
    Europe’s largest buffet of classic automobiles opened at 14:00 hours on Wednesday; and just a few hours later, many delicacies had sold out. Those who are aiming to buy something at the 2012 Techno Classica in Essen will need to move fast…

    Full throttle from the word ‘go’

    The first day of Techno Classica is intended as a relaxing prelude to the weekend’s main event, but it was clear from the outset that a quiet start was out of the question this year. In Hall 11, on the large stand of Thiesen KG, visitors rushed to see the three red racing icons that led the display: a 1952 Ferrari 225 S Coupé Berlinetta, a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Tour de France and a 1966 Ford GT40. Steenbuck Automobiles (next door), which opened shortly before the event, brought an original Lancia Delta factory works race car, together with two Aston Martin DB4s. And that’s not all: one of the DB4s was sold on the first day of the fair. Meanwhile, Jacobs Sportwagen had a Lancia Delta HF integrale on show, albeit a road car, but even that sold promptly.

    In the buying mood

    The fact that the average prices on the dealer stands was high did nothing to dampen the buying mood. The Dutch company Houtkamp Collection sold four of its nine vehicles on the first day, and Rutger Houtkamp cheerfully told us, “The cars sold were the most expensive in our portfolio.” They included an Aston Martin DB2 Drophead Coupé that changed hands for almost 500,000 euros. Perhaps the most surprising result, however, came on Wednesday evening, at the Serge Heitzstand. Here, an attractive range of Zuffenhausen’s finest, including a sensational dark blue RS 2.7 and a blue 1966 Porsche 911 S, was largely snapped up before the show closed for the day.

    Motorsport manufacturer legends

    There was also a serious presence by the top manufacturers, especially Mercedes-Benz, celebrating 120 years of motor racing history in Hall 2 with more than 30 racing cars. In the wonderfully evocative setting, among all those priceless historic and modern Silver Arrows, Mercedes invited Sir Stirling and Lady Moss and German racing hero Klaus Ludwig to join them for supper. There was just so much to see, such as the huge collection of outstanding VW Group cars, from the Porsche 917 Can-Am Spyder to the Volkswagen Coca-Cola Bus. Jaguar’s stand was also rich in racing history, thanks to the Jaguar Heritage Department putting on a show to delight the visiting public.

    Last call: Coys auction on Saturday

    For those who want not just to window-shop but to actually buy, there is still the Coys auction on Saturday 29 March in Hall 11 – so, even if all the delicacies are sold out at the main buffet, there’ll still be time to enjoy dessert when the auction starts at 15:00 hours. All lots can be found in theClassic Driver Market.
    Photos: Jan Richter
    You can also search for classic cars for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

    attente