Australia’s home-grown experts / Le rallye, c’est Aussie…

Several Australian drivers have carved out international reputations for themselves over the years. The list includes Ross Dunkerton, Chris Atkinson, Neal Bates and Cody Crocker, while WRC Academy graduate Molly Taylor is contesting this year’s FIA European Rally Championship

Quelques pilotes australiens ont brillé au niveau international, comme Ross Dunkerton, Chris Atkinson, Neal Bates ou encore Cody Crocker. Après une saison en WRC Academy, Molly Taylor évolue cette année en Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA.

With 75 WRC starts and six podium finishes to his name, ex-Subaru factory driver Chris Atkinson is undoubtedly the WRC’s best-known Oz. He has only taken part in one event this year (Mexico, in a Citroën DS3 WRC/Michelin) but was recently recruited by Hyundai Motorsport to help develop the new i20 WRC.

That said, he wasn’t at the team’s recent test in Finland since his wife was giving birth to little Lyla Josephine. We extend our best wishes to all the Atkinson family! Dad won’t be participating in his home WRC round, either, although he has done it twice as a factory driver, in 2005 (4^th) and 2006 (9^th).

Meanwhile, the five-time Australian and two-time Asia-Pacific champion Ross Dunkerton drove for Mitsubishi Ralliart in the 1990s, after a spell with Datsun in the 1980s. He notably came third in New Zealand in 1992 (behind Sainz and Liatti) and fourth in Australia in 1993 (behind Delecour). He has since switched to a career as TV presenter and consultant.

Cody Crocker, too, can look back at a successful career in the sport after claiming three national titles and four Asia-Pacific crowns (23 victories) with Subaru. The Australian also drove Subaru Imprezas – chiefly Group N – on some 20 WRC rounds, scooping the production class win in New Zealand in 2005.

During the late 1990s, Neal Bates represented Toyota Australia who frequently entered a Celica GT Four or Corolla WRC for Pacific-region rounds of the WRC. Bates was sixth in New Zealand in 1997 and eighth in Australia in 1997. Now aged 48, he continues to compete in historic events driving a Toyota Celica 2000 GT.

Bates also coached young Molly Taylor, 25, who currently tops the Ladies standings of the FIA European Rally Championship (her mother, Coral, was Bates’ co-driver for many years…). Molly made her own debut in 2006 before moving to the UK to contest the competitive British Rally Championship. After winning the Pirelli Star Driver award in 2010, she entered the following year’s WRC Academy in a Ford Fiesta R2. This season, she is focusing on her ERC programme in a Citroën DS3 R3 and has chosen to start Rally Poland rather than travel home for Rally Australia.

Avec 75 rallyes WRC et six podiums au compteur, l’ancien pilote officiel Subaru Chris Atkinson est sans doute le plus connu des Australiens en WRC. « Atko » n’a disputé qu’une épreuve cette année, le Rallye du Mexique (Citroën DS3 WRC/Michelin), et vient d’être recruté par Hyundai Motorsport pour contribuer au développement de l’i20 WRC.

Chris n’était pas des derniers tests en Finlande car son épouse a donné naissance à une petite Lyla Josephine. Félicitations et tous nos vœux de bonheur. « Papa Atko » ne sera pas non plus au départ de son épreuve nationale qu’il n’a disputée que deux fois en tant que pilote d’usine (4^een 2005 et 9^e en 2006).

Quintuple champion d’Australie et double champion Asie-Pacifique, Ross Dunkerton était pilote Mitsubishi Ralliart au début des années 1990 (il avait même roulé sur Datsun dans les années 1980). Ross a notamment terminé 3^e du Rallye de Nouvelle-Zélande 1992 (derrière Sainz et Liatti) ou encore 4^e au Rallye d’Australie 1993 derrière Delecour. Après sa carrière en rallye, Ross Dunkerton s’est reconverti comme présentateur et consultant à la télévision.

Cody Crocker s’est lui aussi bâti un beau palmarès dans la discipline avec trois titres nationaux et quatre en championnat Asie-Pacifique (23 victoires), tous sur Subaru. C’est également au volant de Subaru Impreza que l’Australien a disputé une vingtaine de rallyes WRC, la plupart en catégorie Voitures de Production. Cody a notamment remporté le Gr.N au Rallye de Nouvelle-Zélande 2005.

A la fin des années 90, Neal Bates était pilote officiel Toyota Australia. L’importateur engageait régulièrement une auto (Celica GT Four, Corolla WRC) sur les manches pacifiques du WRC et Neal a signé quelques beaux résultats (6^e en Nouvelle-Zélande 1997, 8^e en Australie 1997…). A 48 ans, Neal n’a pas raccroché son casque et se fait plaisir en rallye historique sur une Toyota Celica 2000 GT.

Neal Bates fut le mentor de l’Australienne Molly Taylor (25 ans), actuellement leader du Trophée féminin en Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA. Et pour cause : la mère de Molly – Coral - a longtemps été la copilote de Neal. Molly a débuté en 2006 avant de partir en Grande-Bretagne pour disputer le très relevé British Rally Championship. Lauréate de l’opération Pirelli Star Driver en 2010, elle a débuté en Mondial l’année suivante au sein de la WRC Academy sur une Ford Fiesta R2. Elle participe cette saison au Championnat d’Europe sur une Citroën DS3 R3 et ne sera pas au départ du Rally Australia, privilégiant le Rally Poland (ERC).

Schloss Bensberg Classics 2013: Best of Show

After four years of glorious weather, the fifth edition of Schloss Bensberg Classics fell victim to meteorological statistics; but the participants didn’t allow themselves to be put off by grey clouds and rain while celebrating a joyful (if damp) festival of automotive culture.

It’s clear that in the boardrooms of Volkswagen sit not only sharp, calculating technocrats, but also some passionate ‘car guys’. How seriously they take their own brand history and, indeed, the entire history of the automobile is obvious from what goes on in Wolfsburg and at the Schloss Bensberg Classics – one of the few German classic events with an international standing. Even if the concours doesn’t yet come up to Pebble Beach standards, the variety and quality of the cars this year was extremely impressive. We pick a few highlights…

50 years of Lamborghini

No other brand in the Volkswagen portfolio stimulates emotions quite like Lamborghinin – hence the Italians were prominent at Bensberg, enjoying their 50th anniversary. Swiss collector Albert Spiess brought the first Lamborghini sports car, the wonderful 350 GTV from 1963, as well as a whole range of exciting concept cars such as the (currently in restoration) Marzal, the edgily compact Bravo and the unique Miura Roadster. Impressively, there was also the jet-fighter-meets-UFO study Egoista, the birthday gift of VW design boss Walter de Silva; and we were happy to discover a 1969 Islero GTS on the lawn – a car that recently found a new owner on Classic Driver. The jury chose a Miura SV from 1973 for the prize in this category.

50 years of the Porsche 911

You can’t deny it: 50 years on, and the Porsche 911 is more successful than ever. The large group of 911-lovers (and there are indeed a few car enthusiasts who do not count themselves in this category) were brought almost to tears of joy by the Bensberg selection: the spectrum ranged from a 1964 901 and Steve McQueen’s 911 S 2.2 from the opening scene of the film ‘Le Mans’, to the famous racing and rally machines with their Martini and Rothmans liveries. The class concours winner was a 1972 911 S 2.5 – one of just 21 built.

100 years of Aston Martin

There was a separate concours class in honour of Aston Martin’s 100th birthday which, in addition to a DB4 GT Zagato, saw one of the rare DB5 Shooting Brakes. However, the award went to the DB2/4 Cabriolet of Aston CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez.

100 years of Frua

Today, the design studio of Pietro Frua is little known, but it once sat alongside Pininfarina and Bertone as one of the great names of Italian design. The 100th anniversary concours class attracted some of its most beautiful creations, including those for Glas and AC. The concours award for Frua’s finest went – quite rightly – to the 1962 Maserati 5000 GT Frua.

Best of Show

The jury didn’t find it easy to select its overall favourite this year. Ultimately, it chose not the golden Lamborghini 350 GTS or two-tone Mercedes 300B Pininfarina, but a 1939 Talbot-Lago T120 Cabriolet by Piet Janssen. From the same year came also the ‘Best of Show’ by public vote – the Horch 930 V Roadster.

Photos: Jan Baedeker 

via Classic Driver

700HP heads for Frankfurt: Audi Sport quattro reborn

Audi didn’t wait for next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show to unveil what it calls the “conceptual successor” to the Sport quattro of 1983. The new 700HP plug-in hybrid quattro concept is an impressively muscular coupé with more than a hint of historical styling in its beefy silhouette…

As with the car of 30 years ago, Audi tells us that the latest Sport quattro concept was “designed in the spirit of motorsport”. It still gives more than a hint of the 1980s in its styling, however: note the angular, flat C-pillars, the ‘blisters’ above the wings, and the rectangular double headlights, though these latter now feature the marque’s “ground-breaking” Matrix LED technology.

Boasting 800Nm of torque, the 560PS twin-turbo V8 (with cylinder-on-demand technology) plus 110kW electric motor dispatches the 0-62mph sprint in 3.7 seconds, yet the concept claims to emit just 59g/km of CO2. Performance is helped by (of course) permanent all-wheel drive, while Audi’s generous use of aluminium and CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer) keeps the weight impressively low. Including the battery pack – always a hefty item – the kerb weight is a mere 1850kg.

The concept can be seen in all its futuristic retro glory at the Frankfurt Motor Show, 12-22 September 2013, prior to – it is hoped – a small production run.

Triumph Bonneville SE - Maccomotors

It seems weird to say it, but there are actually riders out there who spend their whole life on non-customised bikes. Riders who are perfectly happy using a factory-prepared bike in exactly the same state that it left the maker's premises. Stock pipes. Stock rubber. Hell, even the air in the tires probably has the whiff of aftershave from the factory worker who inflated them. Yes - such people do exist. Juan Manuel, the owner of this bike, was actually one of them. But through luck or through fate, he stumbled across the rather bitchin' custom work of José and Tito from Maccomotors and the rest, as they say, is historia.

“When Juan bought his new Triumph Bonneville SE with its standard mag wheels, he still hadn't really twigged to bike customizations,” notes José, “And then, hallelujah, he discovered them. He was impressed with our Macco Nº1, so then he contacted us to completely change the look of his bike. He wanted us to build an industrial-looking bike, but with some retro touches at the same time. The first step was to change the original rims with spoked rims, and after that it was all up to Maccomotors. So we went to work designing and building. Looking back, we have changed almost everything. One of the most noteworthy contributions in ‘Dusty Pearl’ (as it came to be known) are the handmade side panels that left the rear brake pump outside. We love them the most.”

“Our philosophy when it comes to customising motorcycles is to do something aesthetically beautiful and functional at the same time. We always speak with the customers to know what kind of riding they do or even to advise them when they are choosing a bike to customise. We like the retro style and beauty that hides in the bikes of the 60s, 70s and 80s and when we have finished a bike and we give it a new life and a new personality, we feel really satisfied. We know what we do is truly worthwhile. But the design for us is fundamental; the shapes, colors and all parts must have total harmony.

Juan Manuel, like most of our other clients, knew of our work and contacted us directly. When he bought his Bonneville SE, he wasn't really into custom bikes. But once he was bitten, he wanted to completely change the look of the bike. He wanted a motorcycle that was industrial looking, muscular and functional. The client's only real requirement was that he wanted a Supertrap exhaust and to change the tires. The rest was up to Maccomotors.”

“So, as with every new bike Macco, we presented Juan a design concept for the build. Colours, tires, seat, lights - we try to cover it all. He was more than happy with what he saw and trusted us to see it through. 

But there was one big challenge for Dusty Pearl. Juan wanted to be able to put the stock seat back on to allow travel with his wife. This was by far the hardest job for the build. Our answer was to build twin subframes that we could mount both seats to. This is the first bike we know of that has two subframes.”

“The details on the build include Rizoma 22mm handlebars, shorty polished control levers, Tomaselli grips, a Rizoma front brake reservoir, a Bates 5¾" headlight, a ‘mongrel’ tail light, Maccomotors mudguards and brackets, spoked rim with an 18” front and 17” rear, a Metzeler Tourance 140 rear and a Dunlop 110 front, racing footpegs, Bitubo WME progressive rear shocks with Wilbers progressive front fork springs, a Supertrap exhaust, and the new seat and paint is also by us.”

Do you know of a rider who has yet to appreciate the sublime beauty of riding a bike that is the only one of it's kind in the world? You do? Then save them. Save them today. Do it for Juan. Do it for Maccomotors. But most of all, do it for us. Hallelujah.

[Photos by Sergio Ibarra from Semimate]

via PIPEBURN