vendredi 17 juillet 2015
ERC ; Lukyanuk s’installe en tête du Rallye d’Estonie après la spéciale Tartu ; Parn se retire du Rallye d’Estonie / Lukyanuk leads in Estonia after Tartu City Stage / Pärn out of ERC encounter in Estonia
Alexey Lukyanuk mène le Rallye d’Estonie auto24 après avoir signé le meilleur temps de la première spéciale dans la ville de Tartu.
Le pilote ERC2 de la Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X a réalisé un chrono en 1’06’’9 sur ces 1,33 km ; soit trois dixièmes de mieux que Kajetan Kajetanowicz (LOTOS Rally Team Ford Fiesta R5).
Des milliers de spectateurs étaient venus assister à cette spéciale inaugurale, dans une ambiance très festive.
Certaines sections composées de pavés étaient très glissantes à tel point que Craig Breen a eu recours au mot de glace pour les décrire. Le pilote de la Peugeot Rally Academy s’est d’ailleurs fait une légère frayeur à une jonction.
Roland Murakas a endommagé la suspension arrière de sa Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X après avoir heurté un trottoir.
Le Rallye d’Estonie, réputé pour ses spéciales ultra-rapides, reprendra demain matin à 10h47.
Alexey Lukyanuk leads the auto24 Rally Estonia, after setting the fastest time on the opening Tartu City Stage.
The ERC2 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X driver set a 1m06.9s on the short 1.33 kilometre test, 0.3s quicker than Kajetan Kajetanowicz (LOTOS Rally Team Ford Fiesta R5).
Thousands of spectators turned up to watch the ceremonial start and opening stage, with a real party atmosphere in the university town of Tartu.
Some sections of the City Stage ran on extremely slippery cobbles, which ERC leader Craig Breen described as like driving on ice in places – after he survived a heart-stopping moment when his Peugeot Rally Academy 208 T16 slid straight on a early junction.
Roland Murakas damaged his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X’s rear suspension, after hitting a kerb.
Rally Estonia is better known for its ultra-fast gravel stages – the first of which starts tomorrow at 10h47 local time.
Sander Parn a été contraint de se retirer du Rallye d’Estonie auto24, suite à son accident dans la spéciale qualificative.
Le jeune Estonien et son copilote James Morgan se sont sortis indemnes de cette sortie de route ; leur Ford Fiesta R5 ayant heurté un arbre à près de 100 km/h. L’arceau de sécurité a été endommagé : un dégât synonyme d’abandon.
Malgré cette sortie précoce, Parn sera présent à la séance d’autographe cet après-midi afin de ne pas décevoir les fans ayant fait le déplacement. Il réside à Tartu et son principal sponsor Giga est connu dans beaucoup de villes du pays.
« La voiture a tourné à gauche dans un virage à droite. Des vidéos ont confirmé mon premier ressenti, a déclaré Parn. Nous ne savons pas encore ce qu’il s’est passé mais il n’y avait rien à faire. Nous avons percuté un arbre situé à l’extérieur du virage alors que nous roulions à 100 km/h et nous avons de la chance de n’avoir rien eu. »
Sander Pärn has been forced to retire from the auto24 Rally Estonia, following his accident on the Qualifying Stage.
The young local Estonian driver and his Welsh co-driver James Morgan escaped unharmed after their M-M Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5 left the road and hit a tree at 100 km/h. The roll cage underneath the bonnet has been damaged, meaning that it is impossible for them to continue.
Despite the early exit, Pärn will attend this afternoon’s autograph session, as he doesn’t want to disappoint the local fans any more. He lives in Tartu, and his main sponsor Giga heats most of the city.
“The car turned left at a fast right hand corner by itself – that was my initial thought and the in-car video confirms this,” said Pärn. “We don’t yet know why this happened, but there was nothing we could do. We hit a tree on the outside of the corner at 100km/h and we are lucky we are completely okay.”
Highest Road In The World
Gentlemen's Guide to Racing the Mint 400
Happy camping with Ural’s Sportsman package
Ural Motorcycles’ Gear Up is already a rugged machine, designed to partner explorers on the wildest of adventures. Now a new options package has been revealed, dubbed the ‘Sportsman’, which prepares the bike for camping, in any environment…
Essentials
If you go down to the woods today… you might find a happy camper with his trusty Ural Sportsman. We’ve featured the Ural Gear Up on Classic Driver before, but felt this significant update was worth highlighting. Included in the Sportsman package are several more, extremely powerful LED headlights (perfect for when that campfire inevitably dies out), protective under-floor guards and bumpers, and a waterproof seat and sidecar covers. So whether you’re spending a weekend in the New Forest or several months in the Amazon, you can rely on your Sportsman. And if for whatever reason you encounter any issues, the bike comes with a two-year warranty. Peace of mind – we love it.
Photos: Ural Motorcycles
You can find more information about the Ural Sportsman Package here.
Himalayan 4,500km Adventure
VENIER CUSTOMS V7 TRACTOR 03
Vehicle designers, on the surface at least, appear to have one of the best jobs in the world, sitting around all day daydreaming, playing with crayons and doing lots of colouring in. Probably a million miles from the truth and one thing that must be frustrating is creating the perfect vision for a manufacture’s brief, penning the subsequent sketches and computer renders, only for the fun police to impart spirit crushing regulations, insist on ugly appendages and generally dumb-down for the mass market. Depending on one’s take on this, top-level custom builders like Stefano Venier are either compounding this frustration, or perhaps realising the designers original concept.
Stefano has produced some of the most stylish customs of recent years from the Venier Customs workshop in Brooklyn, New York. Most guys look good in a suit, better if it’s tailored but then you see Sean Connery in the early Bond films, no comparison. A Venier bike is Saville Row, with a shot of nitrous.
Being an Italian import himself, Stefano favours bikes from his native country, especially those from Mandello del Lario. Moto Guzzi’s are in his blood and the passion for them shines through. The Tractor series of V7s have been extremely well received and the order book is bulging. Here we have 03, a 2011 750cc V7 fit for the most distinguished of rider, with a degree of practicality retained. The seat is a two-up affair, although gelato bingeing pillions might need to look elsewhere for a ride, this saddle is perfectly proportioned for those with perfect proportions.
The handmade aluminium tank and fenders are the result of much R&D and the same as those available through the Venier website. One thing the stock V7 isn’t blessed with is truckloads of power, so weight saving adds valuable pep to the performance. Fellow New Yorker Lou Neziri from Alchemy Studio assisted with the fabrication and brought his own metal tailoring skills to the workshop. Mass Moto, also from Italy, manufacture high quality exhausts and have produced a special line for the Venier bikes, including the Tractor series.
Renthal bars fly the flag for the U.K. whilst the suspension is by Ikon from Australia, who assist Stefano with with the build courtesy of a pair of 7613 series shocks. Rocker covers are the old type from a small block motor, powder coated with a crackle finish. The speedo is uses satellites rather than spinning cable to asses progress and features the Venier logo, neat. Some of this though isn’t quite as novel and innovative as Stefano would like, so plans are afoot for expansion.
Alongside the as the factory should have made series of V7s and now 1400 Californias the Venier company is diversifying. Just launched is a clothing line, and we’re not talking logo on a T-shirt stuff here, but proper tailored riding wear. The main diversion for attention and time though is to transition Venier Customs to Venier Motorcycles, which will offer full, ground-up customs, bespoke frames, the lot.
Turns out that Stefano might just have the best job in the world, motorcycle designer, customiser, tailor and soon-to-be niche manufacturer. He’s going to need extra long business cards.
Photography by Alex Logiaski via PIPEBURN
Why it’s still hammer time at Carrozzeria Touring
Touring is one of the few coachbuilders remaining from the golden era, but it’s also a restoration workshop for classic cars of any type. We met the boss of the restoration department, Andrea Dragoni, to see the workshop and better understand its purpose and philosophy...
What is your oldest automobile memory?
Being given a tin toy Ferrari by my grandfather, Eugenio, just before he died in 1974. Sadly, I don’t have it any more as I lost it soon after his death on the way back from a park. He gave me the car in his office and I remember it as if it were yesterday... I think it’s my last memory of us together.
Are cars your passion, or just your work?
Definitely 200% passion, which fuels my work every day.
So where did this passion come from, and how does it affect your life?
It’s in the family… my grandfather Eugenio founded the famous Scuderia Sant’Ambroeus and then became a Ferrari F1 team director. He died of a heart attack during the 1974 Monza 1000km, but I grew up surrounded by cars and have never stopped enjoying them. I live my passion every day at work, attending races and events or simply reading and studying magazines and books.
Do you collect classic cars?
I wish I could be a collector but at the moment I just own a 1986 Porsche Carrera. But never say never…
How did you become responsible for the restoration department?
My background is built on my passion for cars – for their technology and history. Beyond that I’ve always been employed in the automotive industry, first as a cast wheels engineer for some well-known wheel manufacturers and then as a project engineer at Borrani, the world-famous wire wheels company. Here, I grew closer to classic cars and the restoration process. Last but not least, there’s my passion for research and attention to detail. Every day spent at Touring Superleggera increases my knowledge and my experience like nothing else could. I’m now responsible for the restoration department, but I’m also the project leader for the modern ‘Fuoriserie’ at Touring Superleggera.
Do you have a special affection for classic cars?
I love them, they are our history and they teach us how to create modern collectable cars that communicate the same emotions and feelings.
What's your expectation for the classic car market over the next few years, with prices increasing?
I’m no expert, but my feeling is that we are seeing a special moment where everything is increasing in value. How long it will last is difficult to say but, when the dust settles, some will keep their value and others will fall back to more realistic prices.
Which car – that you’ve restored at the workshop – are you most proud of?
I’m proud of all of them, since every one tells a different amazing story. At the moment, the most astonishing is the Touring-bodied Bristol 401 we saved from wreckage and brought back to its original splendour.
What's the car you’d most love to have at the workshop for a restoration?
An Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Le Mans, a racing car in its purest form.
Which aspect of restoration is your favourite?
Probably using state-of-the-art technology to preserve and restore the originality of each and every car, but also the research and close attention to detail needed during trial fitment and final assembly. But even the thrill of facing unexpected issues and solving them in the best possible way is a pleasure.
What do you mean by technology?
For example, on the Ferrari 166 MM, the front was replaced during the lifetime of the car. It was too flat, the shape was not right and nor was the grille. So we took some period pictures, scanned the car in 3D and, with the right software and designers, we compared the 3D scan to the pictures and created the original shape in 3D. We then milled a hammering buck, and formed a new metal face and grille, correct in every detail. It was a case of modern technology at the service of originality.
What’s the philosophy of Touring restoration? Do you restore everything? Do you ever save well-preserved original components?
As I recently expressed in my speech at the HAGI Classic Car Symposium in Cologne, we put a lot of effort into trying to preserve the most we possibly can from each car – as long as it’s correct and complies with the aim of the specific project. But every project tells a different story and we have to study it deeply in order to act properly.
What’s your view of completely original, well-preserved, untouched cars with patina?
I love them as long as they are still efficient and driveable; the only drawback is that ladies tend not to like the smell of mould. I am a driver first, and I need to drive any car to feel it and enjoy it fully.
How long has the restoration department existed?
The staff and equipment have been operational since 1995. Touring bought the department from a pre-existing company in 2010.
Which services do you offer at the restoration department? Bodywork? Upholstery? Engines? Paint?
Everything except the mechanical aspects, such as the engine, gearbox, differential and so on.
What is your modern ‘dream’ car?
No doubt about it, Touring’s Berlinetta Lusso is filling my dreams!
And what's your dream classic car, regardless of price?
A Ferrari 330 GTC in Blue Sera with dark red interior. Why? It was my grandfather’s Ferrari, a car that also appeared in the Grand Prix movie in 1966.
Photos: Rémi Dargegen for Classic Driver © 2015
Salt of the Earth || Icon 1000 x British Customs
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