ACE CAFE RADIO

    vendredi 31 octobre 2014

    A Nightmare on Main Street: The 10 scariest cars of all time


    Dartz Prombron Black Shark
    Perhaps you already have an appropriate costume in your closet – but what should you park on your drive to scare away the trick-or-treaters before they make it to your door? Here are the 10 most horrible cars in history…

    Dartz Prombron Black Shark: Defender from the Apocalypse

    The ‘Black Shark’ might be ungainly, but you won’t be complaining when it shields you from the Apocalypse. Built in Russia, the Dartz Motorz (sic) SUVs were given a Hollywood endorsement when Bruce Willis drove one in the 2013 film A Good Day to Die Hard.

    Rinspeed Bedouin Concept: Eggcellent idea in principle

    In 2003, Rinspeed designer Frank M. Rinderknecht cooked up an intelligent, variable-space shooting brake concept based on the Porsche 996 Turbo. He clearly loved the ‘fried egg’ headlamps so much that he decided to apply the theme to the car’s body panels too. Shame they were rotten.

    1957 Aurora: Religious righteousness; molten mess

    Despite looking like a melted yank tank that swallowed a Lancia Fulvia whole, the 1957 Aurora concept had a saving grace: it was intended to be one of the first experimental safety vehicles, the brainchild of a Catholic priest (you couldn't make this stuff up). Except that didn’t save it – thankfully, only one was ever built.

    Grave Digger: Expendable body parts

    First appearing in the 1980s, Dennis Anderson’s Grave Digger has since become one of the most famous monster trucks, siring no fewer than 29 descendants. Many of these are still in service – but the original is on display in the ‘Digger’s Dungeon’, which has body parts (its own) hanging from the ceiling.

    Panoz Abruzzi: Greedy goblin

    Supported by his father Don (a chain-smoking millionaire nicotine mogul), Danny Panoz created a loud-mouthed supercar capable not only of simultaneously inhaling four pumpkins – but also relieving 81 buyers of half a million dollars each.

    Maybach Exelero Concept: The devil works fast

    Perhaps not ugly, but certainly evil-looking, the 2005 Maybach Exelero was a high-speed test car built for tyre manufacturer Fulda to shake down a new generation of rubber. It was capable of almost 220mph, but could scare the wits out of witnesses while stationary.

    Packard Twelve Concept: A breaker's dozen

    Appearing to have taken moustache-grooming tips from Charlie Chaplin (or…), the four-eyed Packard Twelve concept was intended to be the American company’s luxury saloon of the New Millennium. The only explanation for it being allowed to reach the public eye is that the approval board must have been drunk with pre-recession power, but thankfully they had sobered up before a decision to put it into production could be made.

    Weber Sportscars Faster One: Tested in a tunnel, designed in the dark

    Independent Swiss manufacturer Weber Sportscars perhaps proved best that form should not blindly follow function. Luckily, founder Roman Weber realised how eye-wateringly ugly the car was, and returned more recently with a marginally less offensive design.

    Sbarro Monster G: Cleared for the one-way runway

    At the 1987 Geneva Motor Show, Franco Sbarro introduced a quirky (read: queasy) Swiss alternative to the German G-Wagen. Sporting a 6.9-litre Mercedes V8 and wheels from a Boeing 747 (yes, really), the resulting ‘Monster G’ mercifully flew off into the sunset, never to be seen again.

    Marussia B2: Cold and uninviting

    A year before acquiring its ill-fated Formula 1 team, Moscow-based Marussia Motors blessed us with the B2 supercar, which had a six-cylinder engine from British specialist Cosworth. Shame the design wasn’t outsourced, too.
    Photos: Dartz Motorz, Rinspeed, Peter Vann, Panoz Motors, Daimler, RM Auctions, Weber Sportscars, Marussia Motors
    You can find visually inoffensive modern and classic cars for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

    Dirty Sunday


     by Scott in Flat Tracker
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    One of the biggest revivals happening at the moment in the motorcycle scene is vintage flat track racing. Events like Dirt Quake, Hell on Wheels, Dirty Sunday and Australia’s up and coming Sunday Slide are bringing this sport back to a wider audience. Sure, most of these races aren’t very serious, but they are introducing riders to a sport that hasn’t been very accessible to those without a healthy budget. But the main reason these events are being held is that it’s hard to have more fun on two wheels. Let’s be honest, there’s nothing like getting sideways around a corner on a dirt track for the first time.
    Last month, Dirty Slide was held by Activa Classic Bike Garage on a grass track in Gers, France. Ironically, this place is famous for its foie gras, but we’re pretty sure the riders were only eating dirt and grass. Looks like there was a great mix of motorcycles racing from dirt bikes, customs, choppers, sliders and even a few sidecars getting sideways.
    The event went all day and ended up going well into the night with the ‘ring of fire’ being set up and the adventurous (or the most drunk) took their bikes to the air like flying French Evel Kneivels. Joie de vivre.
    There’s still time to register for Sunday Slide this Sunday in Newcastle, Australia. Send us an email if you are interested in registering. All classic-styled bikes welcome. Animal suits optional.
    [Photographs by the talented David Marvier]
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    via SIDEBURN

    SCRAMBLER AYRTON SENNA TRIBUTE BY MARCUS WALZ


    Moto Guzzi Ayrton Senna 20th Anniversary tribute motorcycle by Marcus Walz.
    It’s a common sight to see Formula One drivers zooming up and down the pit lane on scooters. But many of these hardcore racers have more serious motorcycles secreted away in their personal garages. Guys like Lewis Hamilton, Jensen Button, Mark Webber and Michael Schumacher are all two-wheeled aficionados—and many enjoy customizing their bikes too.
    Ayrton Senna da Silva, perhaps the most talented Formula One driver of all time, was also a keen motorcyclist. This year is the twentieth anniversary of Senna’s passing at Imola, so the German builder (and motorcycle racer) Marcus Walz has just created a stunning limited edition Moto Guzzi Le Mans in his honor.
    Moto Guzzi Ayrton Senna 20th Anniversary tribute motorcycle by Marcus Walz.
    Marcus Walz is a familiar face in the Formula 1 pit lane: his customers include Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen, David Coulthard and Gerhard Berger. As you can imagine, his work is very much in the premier league—and this Le Mans is no different.
    Three Senna tribute bikes have been created, based on 1970s Moto Guzzis from the Le Mans Mark I series. They’re completely rebuilt from the ground up, with custom bodywork finished in colors inspired by Senna’s famous helmet designs, taken from the Brazilian flag and painted by Sid Mosca.
    Moto Guzzi Ayrton Senna 20th Anniversary tribute motorcycle by Marcus Walz.
    Walz has punched the 850cc engine out to 1040cc, and it now delivers an easy 90hp; weight has dropped to around 175kg (385 lbs). The custom sheet metal is 1.5-millimeter aluminum, including the custom gas tank, seat section and front fender.
    Moto Guzzi’s famously sweet-handling frame has been sandblasted, detabbed and powder-coated for an even better than factory finish. Walz has upgraded the suspension too, with new fork tubes, internals, and progressive springs. Out back are YSS Z-Series shocks, with adjustable preload, rebound and length.
    Moto Guzzi Ayrton Senna 20th Anniversary tribute motorcycle by Marcus Walz.
    The 18” original Le Mans cast wheels are now black powdercoated and fitted with ContiRoadAttack 2 Classic Race rubber: 110/80 at the front, and 130/80 at the back.
    Moto Guzzi Ayrton Senna 20th Anniversary tribute motorcycle by Marcus Walz.
    Brembo two-piston calipers are on braking duty at both ends, now clamping on drilled stainless steel rotors. The rearsets are hand-fabricated and fully adjustable, and the clip-on bars are from high-end German specialist LSL.
    Moto Guzzi Ayrton Senna 20th Anniversary tribute motorcycle by Marcus Walz.
    The styling is classic, the power-to-weight ratio is ample, and the engineering is immaculate. We think Ayrton would have approved.
    Moto Guzzi Ayrton Senna 20th Anniversary tribute motorcycle by Marcus Walz.
    via the BIKEexif

    Merzouga Rally Stage 6

    Here is the hour long, Le Mans start blast for the finish line at the Merzouga Rally 2013. This is a navigational rally do a road book is used to navigate in conjunction with compass headings and trip computers. In this stage, Lyndon's trip computer failed at one point and so he had to re-calibrate his spare (on the go) and continue.


    ‘71 Triumph Daytona – Tin Shack Restorations



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    Flat caps. Wellington boots. Picnic lunches. The world of Land Rovers seems light years away from the dusty, rough-and-tumble world of desert racing. One’s all cucumber sandwiches and pheasants, the other’s realising that once you’ve hit the cactus and you can see your bike off in the distance doing somersaults, it’s probably far too late to land the jump gracefully. Yet from this ying and yang-ness of contrasts comes today’s rather splendid build, the Triumph ‘Greenhorn Express.’ Colby, the bike’s owner and builder, makes a living restoring Early model Land Rovers and spends his spare time on pursuits of a decidedly more one-wheel drive variety. Or, as he puts it, “It’s a Land Rover and motorcycle hobby run amuck…”
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    As Colby informed us from the Vermont aircraft hangar he calls Tin Shack Restorations, he didn’t set out to build a desert sled. “This bike pretty much came together out of timing and opportunity. Over the last couple of years I had seen many modern Triumph Scramblers customized to resemble vintage sleds, and I liked what I saw. One afternoon in 2012 I stopped by the local Triumph shop and sitting there was a ’12 Scrambler – you probably know the rest of the story. Soon I had my own Hammarhead Jack Pine, and wherever I went around town people were falling all over themselves to check out the bike. So the wheels in my head started turning…”
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    With an obvious abundance of spare time, Colby hatched a plan. He would match the two Series Rovers he had entered into the British Invasion Auto show in Stowe, Vermont with a colour-matched pair of Triumphs to sit alongside them. And the hunt began…
    “After many dead ends, I found this ‘71 Daytona at a local used bike shop,” Colby notes. “The bike was a real strong runner. By this time I had done a fair amount of research and I had come up with a solid recipe for the bike. Pipes up high, build a skid plate, find an old Bates seat, an alloy rear fender, a trials tire up front, a knobby in the rear, a wide MX style bar and lighten up where possible.”
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    Colby wanted a set of “Ekins bend” pipes which are still around if you have a 650 Trumpet, but it seems none were ever made for the 500s. He turned to The Factory Metal Works in Concord, North Carolina, and had them make up the perfect set of twin shotguns. “Then after watching several rusty, torn leather examples sell on eBay for $500 plus, I decided that the original Bates seat was a non-starter. I made a seat pan to mimic the Bates unit and had it built and upholstered by Richmond Upholstery,Vermont.”
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    The handlebars are a stainless piece made by Front Street Cycles; they are not quite what you see on most vintage sleds as most of the older bikes have no crossbar, but Colby liked the look and respected the fact that one lone guy is bending these up in Dayton, Ohio and getting them out there. Hagon provided the longer rear shocks.
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    “The overlay sprocket was made by Rebel Gears in Crossville, Tennessee. I had my doubts that anyone would know what I was talking about when I was asking for an overlay sprocket for an old Triumph, but when I talked to the owner at Rebel his reply was ‘oh yah, my Dad used to make those all the time for guys back in the 50’s & 60’s, no problem.‘ The sprocket arrived with all the right mounting hardware and it fit perfectly. The twin ring chain guard I drew up and then went to my friends at Tri-Angle Metal Fab. They mapped the overlay and stock sprocket mounting points, entered everything into one of their magic CNC machines and hey presto, a chain guard.”
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    Then there’s the other touches Colby added to complete the bike and to try and stay true to what the guys were doing ‘in the day.’ A Webco-style aluminum oil tank saves weight over the old steel bag. And there’s a Webco spare spark plug holder, some spare chain links and masters wrapped around the bars. He had the rear spokes safety wired, and all the gauges, blinkers and the choke cable were eliminated along with the battery. In the day that meant a magneto, but today it means Pazon ignition and a Boyer Power Box. “I guess I lose points for authenticity there,” says Colby. “Once again, my good friend Charlie Decker of Bandit Striping did the hand lettering for me and the boys at Autobahn Body Works sprayed the Land Rover pastel green in a single stage.”
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    Gladly, the two Rovers and the two Triumphs made it to the show and despite being sandwiched by two as-new ‘60s Land Rovers and a pretty cool ‘12 Triumph Scrambler, the little ‘71 sled stole the show. “I heard countless stories from people who had owned one or another British bike detailing just how fast, how cool and how bad-ass they were. ‘My cool uncle’ this, ‘my college roommate’ that. Everyone zeroed in on the Daytona and had a great story to tell.”
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    “At one point, a friend and I were standing a ways off and watching the crowd mill around the Daytona. ‘You should quit building Land Rovers and just do bikes,’ he said. ‘Nobody gives a shit about those two trucks.’” We think he may have a point.
    [Photography by Zack Griswold of Rovers North]
    via PIPEBURN

    Morgan Three Wheeler and Caterham Seven: Brilliant British Flyweights

    They're small, light, fast and deliver the most singular driving experiences. We take them to some beautiful UK roads and discover why they offer something even the latest hypercars simply cannot match.


    Alfa Romeo Giulia Super 1973

    Alfa Romeo Giulia Super 1973 from Cool & Vintage on Vimeo.

    farandole