Dakar Rally 2015: X-raid´s teamchef Sven Quandt "Want to thank Stéphane".

After five successful years, the first victory of the Mini All4 Racing in a Rally and two Dakar victories, Monster Energy X-raid Team and Stéphane Peterhansel will be taking different paths - Monster Energy X-raid Team and "Monsieur Dakar" have decided to terminate their contractual relationship by mutual consent.

The contract with X-raid would have still included Dakar 2015 but, after some trusting conversations, team and driver have decided to release him already by the end of May 2014, in order to leave the Frenchman the opportunity for a new challenge. His contract was dissolved amicably by mutual consent.

"I want to thank Stéphane," said team manager Sven Quandt. "He is a fantastic driver and a great person. We have written many chapters in the history books with him. We won the first Dakar Rally with the Mini All4 Racing. And he has been one of the key people in making the X-raid team and the Mini grown."

"We have now decided to part ways by mutual consent. Our team is well structured and organised. We are very much looking forward to the next Dakar Rally and all the other challenges which lie ahead. I see a bright future for our team. We all wish Stéphane the best for his new challenge.”

The Monster Energy X-raid team and Peterhansel look back on a very successful partnership. After the Dakar Rally of 2009, the Frenchman became part of the team and drove a BMW X3 CC in the following years. In the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2011, he won the first race in the history of the Mini and in 2012 and 2013 Peterhansel won the Dakar Rally twice.

"After five years of successfully working together and two Dakar victories in total, I want to take on a new challenge," explains Stéphane Peterhansel. "I very much thank Sven Quandt and all the employees of X-raid for the successful years in which I had the opportunity to drive the Mini." 
via .marathonrally.com

Le MotoGP™ part en pèlerinage à Assen / Cathedral calling as MotoGP™ travels north

Le Championnat du Monde MotoGP™ a rendez-vous dans la Cathédrale d'Assen cette semaine pour la huitième manche de la saison 2014, l’Iveco Daily TT Assen.

Arrêté dans sa série de pole positions par une chute, sa première de l’année, en Q2 à Barcelona-Catalunya, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) a cependant de nouveau brillé en course pour s’imposer devant Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) et Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda).

Le Champion du Monde en titre dispose de 58 points d’avance après avoir remporté les sept premières épreuves de la saison et son premier poursuivant, Rossi, pourrait bien être le pilote le plus apte à mettre fin à cette série de victoires ce week-end à Assen.

L’Italien avait renoué avec la victoire pour la première fois depuis 2010 sur le circuit néerlandais l’an dernier, après une qualification en quatrième position. Ce jour-là, Márquez avait terminé deuxième, à deux secondes de Rossi, sur un circuit où il s’était déjà imposé en 125cc et en Moto2™.

Après avoir manqué la victoire dans le dernier tour à Barcelone, Pedrosa semble avoir bien récupéré de son opération à l’avant-bras droit et voudra se montrer tout aussi compétitif ce week-end aux Pays-Bas, sur une piste réputée pour mieux réussir à Yamaha.

Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) aura quant à lui à coeur d’effacer ses souvenirs de 2013 à Assen puisque le Majorquin s’était fracturé la clavicule le jeudi, avait fait un aller-retour afin d’être opéré en urgence à Barcelone et avait ensuite surmonté la douleur pour prendre la cinquième place en course, malgré un départ en douzième position.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) complète le Top 5 du classement MotoGP™ avant la huitième de la saison 2014 et a fini les sept premières courses dans le Top 10, contrairement à son coéquipier Cal Crutchlow, qui demeure en difficulté depuis son arrivée chez Ducati.

Pol (Monster Yamaha Tech3) et Aleix (NGM Forward Racing) Espargaró seront en quête d’un maximum de points ce week-end, tout comme Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) et Álvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), qui cherchent à s’assurer un guidon pour 2015 et au-delà. 

Bradl avait été le plus performant derrière les 4 Fantastiques à Barcelone et avait pris la cinquième place. L'Allemand voudra conforter son avance sur Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) et Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3), qui sont neuvième et dixième du classement général.

Danilo Petrucci (Octo IodaRacing Project) tentera de reprendre la compétition ce week-end après avoir dû déclarer forfait à Barcelone, où l’Italien n’avait pas encore suffisamment récupéré de sa fracture du poignet gauche, qui date de sa chute au warm-up de Jerez.

From the sweltering heat of Barcelona the MotoGP™ World Championship heads north to the Netherlands for round eight at Assen, with Repsol Honda’s remarkable young World Champion Marc Marquez still undefeated in 2014.

Marquez may have seen his run of successful pole position qualifying results come to an end at the Barcelona-Catalunya with a Q2 crash – his first of the season – but come race day the 21 year-old delivered the goods again as he won a brilliant battle at the front over Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa.

Spaniard Marquez is now 58 points clear at the top of the standings following his seven race winning streak, with his nearest rival Rossi perhaps looking the most likely to be capable of ending his victorious run.

Last year at Assen Rossi returned to winning ways with his first victory since 2010, delighting the Dutch crowd with a great ride from fourth on the grid. Marquez finished second that day by just over two seconds and he has a good record at The Cathderal of motorcycle racing having notched up three wins at the historic venue in the 125 and Moto2™ categories.

In third place in the standings going into the Iveco Daily TT Assen is Dani Pedrosa, who was in hunt for victory at Catalunya until a last lap error which saw him touch the rear wheel of Marquez. Pedrosa appeared more comfortable and competitive again after arm pump hindrances earlier this season and along with Marquez he will strive to win at Assen for Honda, at what is considered to be a good track for Yamaha.

Last year’s visit to the TT was one to forget for Jorge Lorenzo who battled through the pain barrier to finish fifth, from 12^th on the grid, having broken his collarbone in Thursday practice and having flown back to Barcelona for surgery in order to be ready to race. Lorenzo won at Assen in 2010 but has since struggled at the Dutch venue.

Fifth in the current World Championship standings is Andrea Dovizioso who has been in the top ten at every race so far, in contrast to his Ducati Team colleague Cal Crutchlow who will go in search of a good result at round eight, having had a difficult time since his arrival with the Italian factory.

The likes of the Espargaro brothers, Pol (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Aleix (NGM Forward Racing), will be hunt for more crucial championship points, whilst Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) and Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) are riding to secure their racing contracts for 2015 and potentially beyond.

Bradl returned to form at Catalunya with a solid ride to fifth and his aim is to stay ahead of the likes of Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) and Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and climb higher up the standings in the top ten.

Danilo Petrucci (Octo IodaRacing Project) will attempt to return from injury at the eighth round of the season, having traveled to Barcelona but having been unable to ride as his fractured left wrist had not recovered sufficiently from his Jerez Warm Up crash earlier this year.

SPEED DREAMS – THE FASTEST PLACE ON EARTH

Speed Dreams – The Fastest Place on Earth is a wonderful BBC documentary about a few small teams of British Bonneville enthusiasts who spend years in their shed working on a motorcycle, before shipping it to Utah and unleashing it on the salt in the hopes of taking home a world record.

It’s a humbling look behind the scenes at some genuinely talented, amateur engineers and their (sort of) understanding wives, it’s also a great look at what victims of salt fever – one of the most expensive psychological disorders in existence.

Playing truant with the 550HP Jaguar F-type R Coupé

Working in front of a screen during these hot summer months can be a drag. Hence we asked the doctor for a sick note – a severe case of 'summer flu', in case you were wondering – and headed off into the Bavarian mountains with the new Jaguar F-type R Coupé…

With which sports car would Ferris Bueller enjoy a day off school in the summer of 2014?

With which sports car would Ferris Bueller enjoy a thoroughly undeserved day off school today, in the summer of 2014? The new Ferrari California T would, of course, be the ideal and fitting choice, but unfortunately it doesn’t arrive until much later in the summer. How about theJaguar F-type R Coupé? A curveball, we know, but hear us out. With ample luggage space, a five-litre supercharged V8 delivering a socking great 550HP and a roof, not only good for protection from the harsh summer sun, but also from the prying eyes of over-zealous colleagues, the R Coupé is the perfect getaway for a long weekend, without the need for a trench coat, hat and sunglasses.

Hellish crackle

The R Coupé’s 550HP surpasses both the entry-level car’s 340 and the S version’s 380 by some margin and, combined with the punchy 680Nm of torque, the sprint from 0-62mph takes a mere 4.2 seconds with max speed arriving at an impressive 186mph. Tempting numbers but, as you know, a rash radar photo can bring an abrupt halt to proceedings; particularly worrying if you’re supposed to be at work. A steady 70mph it is then, as we cruise in the direction of the Bavarian Alps. But with its deep, burnt orange paintwork and an eight-cylinder engine that crackles and pops incessantly, as though uncooked popcorn is being dropped into Hell, the R Coupé is anything but understated. 

Throttle, brake, downshift, steer

At the weekend, mobile homes typically clog up the serpentine roads around Walchensee but today, a weekday, I’m largely alone, settling into a comfortable rhythm around the seemingly endless bends. Balance often flicks noticeably rearward mid-corner, and the car slides easily, but the closed F-type is impressively agile and direct. It’s also comfortable – the R’s adaptive suspension constantly monitors and changes the springs and dampers and an electronically controlled differential helps translate all that torque efficiently onto the road. 

But the real surprise is just how stiff the car is in the sharper bends. It’s a long way from the big Jag barges of old, and even compared with the F-type Roadster, the Coupé has gained 80% more rigidity despite tipping the scales at a very similar 1665kg. As a compact sports car priced at slightly over €100,000, the R Coupé is a revelation; and a hard-edged, noisy one at that. 

The all-important question

As the car cools down beside the lake, paintwork shimmering in the sunlight, several stones are skimmed across the water while we ponder the all-important question. Is the tin-top F-type a better choice than its roadster counterpart for a cheeky workday excursion? If you’d rather not have to explain to your boss that a golden tan is in fact a primary symptom of ‘summer flu’, we think the question has answered itself.

Photos: Jan Baedeker

You can find numerous classic and modern Jaguars for sale in the Classic Driver Market 

Men's File Issue 10 interview with Nick Clements

Nick from Men's File briefly explains the contents of Issue 10 of Men's File.
Filmed during Wheels & Waves racing event, we captured some exciting bikes and a car, just like the ones that we see inside of Men's File Magazine.

Men's File Issue 10 interview with Nick Clements from Helmstyle on Vimeo.

JAGUAR E-TYPE ‘EVOLUTION’ ROADSTER

There’s not a lot that can be written about the Jaguar E-Type that hasn’t already been said a thousand times by a thousand different motoring journalists. Originally released in 1961 the E-Type would enjoy a 14 year production run, since it was first shown to the public it’s graced the top spot in innumerable lists of “the world’s most beautiful cars” and in the mid-60s even Enzo Ferrari referred to the E-Type as “The most beautiful car ever made”.

The E-Type you see here is an ‘Evolution’ Roadster built to modern specifications for British motoring legend John Coombs, sadly Coombs passed away in his Monaco home before taking delivery of the car but the fact that it was built to order for him gives it a remarkable pedigree.

John Coombs was a successful British racing driver inn the 1950s and 1960s, among his many achievements was the first ever Formula 1 win for Lotus. Coombs had a deep love for motor racing and he switched from driving to preparing cars on behalf of Jaguar for drivers like Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart and Bruce McLaren – he also prepared E-Types for racing, making many of the same modifications that have been made to the car you see here.

As John was a resident of Monaco he specified that the car should be switched from right hand drive back to its original left, he had the suspension lowered by an inch and the fenders slightly widened. The engine has been rebuilt to “fast road” specification which included 10:1 compression flat-top pistons, high-lift D-Type profile camshafts, a gas-flowed cylinder head with 1⅞” diameter inlet valves, a 6-branch exhaust manifold and a lightened/balanced flywheel. The transmission is a high-performance 5-speed unit with a lightweight alloy casing supplied by Guy Broad.

The brakes have been upgraded at the front with 4-pot callipers and vented discs. Other noteworthy features include 7″ wide Turrino wire wheels with alloy rims, a stainless steel exhaust system, modern electric power assisted steering and a a full leather interior by Moto Trim.

If you’re in the market for a well-sorted E-Type and you have somewhere in the £70,000 range to spend on a car, you might want to click here to register for The Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale. It’s due to take place on the 27th of June 2014 and will be held by Bonhams.

via Silodrome

Mission Manx

MotorCircus presents Mission Manx
4 Beemers, 8 Wheels, 16 Valves. A documentary about a journey from Berlin to the Isle of Man.

MotorCircus presents Mission Manx from Schütze on Vimeo.

Henry Segrave, Gentleman Driver

Anyone looking to create a template for the archetypal 'gentleman driver' could do worse than to copy Major Sir Henry Segrave's curriculum vitae...

Born in the U.S. to an American mother and an Irish father, he was raised in Ireland, educated at Eton, commissioned into the Army at the outbreak of World War One and, having been badly wounded in hand-to-hand combat, became a fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps. And all that before his 21st birthday.

The first Brit to win a Grand Prix in a home-grown car

Post-War, his gung-ho attitude to life gave him the edge as a racing driver and helped him to win the inaugural Brooklands 200-mile race in 1921. More significantly, however, it made him the first Brit to win a Grand Prix in a home-grown car when he took the chequered flag in the French GP of 1923 behind the wheel of a Sunbeam. Remaining loyal to the marque, he set his first land speed record in 1926 driving 'Ladybird', a four-litre Sunbeam Tiger in which he scorched along the Southport sands at more than 152mph. 

A short-lived glory

Segrave's glory was short-lived, however, as he lost the record just six weeks later, relinquishing it to Welshman J.G. Parry-Thomas who topped it by 17mph - but within the year, the indomitable Segrave had outdone both Parry-Thomas and Sir Malcolm Campbell by becoming the first person to break through the 200mph barrier in his 1,000 horsepower Sunbeam 'Mystery.'

Riding the Golden Arrow

The car he's most associated with, however, is the remarkable Golden Arrow. I still remember encountering it for the first time, at Beaulieu's National Motor Museum in 1969. The true meaning of Segrave driving it to 231.45mph at Daytona 40 years before was somewhat lost on me, but I knew I was looking at something special. It was the hero's last attempt at being the fastest man on land. He was put off by witnessing the death of Lee Bible who rolled the Triplex Special at almost 200mph on Ormond Beach, Florida, just two days after the Golden Arrow record was established.

From land to water

As a result, Segrave directed his need for speed towards the water, swiftly becoming the first person in nine years to beat U.S. water speed king Garfield Wood in a powerboat race. But it was, ironically, a boat that caused Segrave's demise. Just three months after giving up on land speed attempts he was killed when his 3,600 horsepower, aero-engined powerboat Miss England II capsized on Lake Windermere after making two runs at a record average speed of 98.76mph.

The date was Friday, 13 June. Segrave was just 33 years of age.

Photos: Getty Images / Rex

This article is part of the 'Gentleman Drivers' feature series that is presented and supported by EFG Bank.

Beauty Shot Dakar 2014

Beauty Shot Dakar 2014 par Dakar

‘74 Norton Commando – 59 Café

In the modern incarnation of the Café Racer culture perhaps no motorcycle waves the flag like a Deus Yamaha SR500. So when Rob decided his had to make way for something even better he set Erik Johnson of 59 Café a hell of a task and what better way to beat a modern classic than with a true original. First he tried to persuade Erik to part ways with his own award winning Norton Commando but waiting for hell to freeze over is a very long wait, so he commissioned Erik to instead build a Commando of his own that could gleam outside his Coeur d’Alene restaurant and take him home in hand crafted ‘old school’ British style.

To start the project an original 1974 Norton Commando 850 was found and while complete was in less than satisfactory condition. The bike was torn down and the frame modified to accept a centre mounted Manx style oil tank custom made at 59 Café. The frame was then treated to an upturned rear loop that now supports the stunning alloy seat pan also meticulously hand crafted in house. The seat is padded and then lovingly covered with genuine leather and contrasting gold stitching. Ordered especially from the UK for this build is the liquid metal like alloy “Sprint” Manx tank beautifully adorned with the classic Norton logo.

At the heart of the build is the legendary Norton twin which by 1974 was packing 828cc, giving the 850 its name, now with even more power than the early models that ruled the world and further increasing reliability. Before prying out a few extra ponies 59 Café ensured the engine and transmission were faultless in their operation and would jump to life with the first kick. Electronic ignition has brought the twin closer to the modern era while new Amal concentric carburettors and Wassel velocity stacks take care of the fuelling. Directing the Commando sound to the atmosphere is a set of genuine Andover Mufflers with “Norton” laser etched into their side.

While the Norton sports near Superbike engine capacity it handled like a middleweight out of the box, but time has taken its toll and an experienced builder makes all the difference. With his own Commando perfectly setup Erik knows exactly what’s needed and fitted up a new set of Hagon rear shocks. Lowering the rider’s stance is a set of custom clip ons and to eliminate the unsightly handlebar mounts Erik computer designed and fabricated a blanking plate. The Commando sports aluminium wheels relaced with Buchanan spokes and pulling the whole thing to a halt is a cross drilled front brake rotor.

Owner Rob wanted a Commando that one upped his Deus SR and would be the talk of the town, Builder Erik is a no-nonsense guy who builds old school perfection in true “Ton Up” style and when Photographer Jason finished the shoot he knew the world had to see this stunning Commando. Gentleman… done, Done and Done!

[Photos by Jason Shadrick]

via PIPEBURN