Dakar, Leg 3: Barreda (Honda-Michelin) makes his mark / Etape 3 : Barreda (Honda-Michelin) en patron

Joan Barreda collected his second stage victory in three days to consolidate his overall lead in South America. Cyril Despres (Yamaha Factory Racing) was a reassuring second fastest today which promotes him to second place on the leaderboard, ahead of Marc Coma (KTM-Michelin) who was third on SS3.

Joan Barreda a remporté sa deuxième victoire d’étape en trois jours et conforte ainsi sa position de leader au classement général. Deuxième aujourd’hui, Cyril Despres (Yamaha Factory Racing) se rassure et remonte à la deuxième place au général devant Marc Coma (KTM-Michelin) troisième du jour.

Today’s Dakar action provided riders with the first typically taxing test of this year’s Dakar. It was slightly shortened because of road damage caused by recent heavy rain, but the first half of the marathon stage still turned out to be a gruelling ride for many competitors.

Joan Barreda overcame the difficulties, however, to produce an assertive performance that was rewarded with the Spaniard’s second stage success since Monday’s start. He was second on the road this morning but spent most of the day running at the front of the field.

Cyril Despres was also in impressive form following the fall he suffered on Tuesday. He was second fastest on the stage (+4m41s), and that has taken last year’s winner to second overall this evening (+13m04s). “It was a nice stage and I thoroughly enjoyed myself,” he said afterwards. “I had a bit of a scare yesterday when I fell; it’s not the sort of thing that happens to me often. Today went much better, but there’s still a long way to go…”

Marc Coma posted the third quickest time (+6m56s) and is also third overall (+13m56), while Alain Duclos (Sherco-Michelin) went well again to bag the fourth best effort (+10m51s) and defend fourth place. Both the stage’s timesheet and the provisional top four feature four different bike manufacturers, namely Honda, Yamaha, KTM and Sherco.

David Casteu (+11m17s) was fifth, ahead of fellow KTM-Michelin runner Chaleco Lopez who fell back to sixth overall after dropping 16m36s on today’s competitive section.

The rally’s third stage eliminated a number of top names from the battle for victory, including Paulo Goncalves (Honda-Michelin) who was reported stopped 30km from the end and who has yet to reach the finish line. Sam Sunderland (Honda) was also in trouble, while Ruben Faria (KTM-Michelin) and Frans Verhoeven (Yamaha-Michelin) have both retired following falls.

No servicing is permitted tonight ahead of the second half of the marathon stage (352km), so competitors will need to look after their tyres and bikes tomorrow if they want to make it to Chilecito after a total distance for the day of 563km.  

Les concurrents du Dakar 2014 sont véritablement rentrés dans le vif du sujet aujourd’hui ave
c la première vraie étape test. Légèrement écourtée en raison des fortes pluies qui se sont abattues dans la région les jours précédents, la première partie de l’étape marathon a été éprouvante pour beaucoup d’entre eux.

Impressionnant, Joan Barreda s’impose  pour la deuxième fois en trois jours. S’élançant de la deuxième place ce matin, l’Espagnol, en position d’ouvreur sur la majorité du parcours, a été le premier à atteindre les 4 300 mètres de l’Aconcagua.

Cyril Despres, en mode maxi attaque, s’est rassuré après sa chute d’hier. Le tenant du titre s’adjuge la deuxième place à 4min41 de Barreda et remonte sur la deuxième marche du  podium provisoire avec 13min56 de retard. « Belle étape où j’ai pris énormément de plaisir » racontait Cyril à l’arrivée.  « Hier, je me suis fait une petite frayeur en chutant, ce qui ne m’arrive pas souvent. Aujourd’hui, j’ai passé une meilleure journée mais la route est encore longue. »

Troisième de l’étape à 6min56, Marc Coma occupe la même place au général (+13min56). Alain Duclos (Sherco-Michelin) poursuit sur sa belle lancée en terminant quatrième à 10min51. Le Français conserve sa quatrième place au général. Honda, Yamaha, KTM et Sherco se partagent les quatre premières places de l’étape et du général.

Derrière, David Casteu (KTM-Michelin) termine cinquième (+11min17) devant Chaleco Lopez (KTM-Michelin), sixième, concède 16min36s et rétrograde à la cinquième place au général.

Cette troisième étape a éliminé des candidats à la victoire. Paulo Goncalves (Honda-Michelin), arrêté à 30 km de la fin de la spéciale, n’avait pas encore franchi la ligne d’arrivée à l’heure où nous écrivons cet article. Sam Sunderland (Honda) faisait également parti des absents. Ruben Faria (KTM-Michelin) et Frans Verhoeven (Yamaha-Michelin) ont été contraints à l’abandon sur chute.

Ce soir, aucune assistance n’est autorisée. Demain, les rescapés parcourront les 563 km (352 km de spéciale) de la seconde partie de l’étape marathon en prenant soin de leurs pneumatiques et machines pour rallier Chilecito.   

Classement Etape 3 :

Barreda (Honda-Michelin) – 2. Despres (Yamaha-Michelin) +4min41 – 3. Coma (KTM-Michelin) +6min56 – 4. Duclos (Sherco-Michelin) +10min41 – 5. Casteu (KTM-Michelin) +11min17,…

Classement général :

Barreda (Honda-Michelin) – 2. Despres (Yamaha-Michelin) +13min04 – 3. Coma (KTM-Michelin) +13min56 – 4. Duclos (Sherco-Michelin) +16min38 – 5. Lopez (KTM-Michelin) +18min39,…

rajasthan 2013

7 cars for 7 experts: The ones to watch in 2014

Last year was a memorable year for the classic car world. We've asked seven leading experts for their opinions on the 'cars to watch for 2014'...

Lamborghini Miura

Max Girardo brought down the gavel on numerous record-breaking Ferraris in 2013 as RM's lead auctioneer. "I'll take all the Ferraris out of the equation and stick my neck out a little by going for something different. I think the Lamborghini Miura represents great value for money at current prices. It's from that era of cars that everyone understands and loves, it's from a great brand, it's got a 12-cylinder engine, and it looks great – I think it's got a long way to go. For an entry-level P400, you're currently looking at between £450,000 and 500,000."

Lamborghini Miuras for sale in the Classic Driver Market

Aston Martin DB6

Jonathan Kaiser of Hexagon Classics believes there could be continued upward movement in Aston Martin DB6 prices in 2014. "Quite simply, DB6s are too inexpensive at the moment. They're selling for around half the price of a DB5, but they're not half the car. We've sold a lot of DB6s during 2013 because people don't want to spend half a million pounds plus on a concours DB5. Obviously, a DB5 will always be an iconic purchase, but I think the gap between the DB5s and DB6s will become narrower as DB6s become more difficult to obtain."

Aston Martin DB6s for sale in the Classic Driver Market

Ferrari 512 BB

James Cottingham of Ferrari specialist DK Engineering sees a potential rise in interest in the Berlinetta Boxer Ferraris, in particular the 512 BB. "I think they've been tremendously underrated for a long time, and they're a true classic, produced in the mid-70s and early 80s. They're relatively rare compared with what other manufacturers were producing at the same time, and in the Ferrari world they look like tremendous value for money in comparison to what Daytonas, 330 GTCs, Lussos and 275 GTBs are making today. Currently, you'll pay between £150,000 and £200,000 for a decent example, with top-of-the-line models fetching £250,000. I could see these going for circa £300,000 later this year."

Ferrari 512 BBs for sale in the Classic Driver Market

Porsche 911 (996) GT3

Wilfried Hallier, owner of Hallier Classic Cars, sees real potential in the 911 GT3 road/race car, particularly the much-overlooked 996 series. "The 996 GT3 goes back to the original philosophy of Porsche. This civilian racing car allows private owners to test their abilities, and I'd recommend a 996 GT3 or GT3 RS to those with little racing experience. If you find a good example, you'll be rewarded with not only driving pleasure, but also a solid investment."

Porsche 911 GT3s for sale in the Classic Driver Market

Bugatti EB110 Super Sport

Dylan Miles of Fiskens will be monitoring the success of the Veyron's predecessor in 2014. "Should any of the 30-or-so EB110 Super Sports come up for sale this year, I can see them doing well. Just think – a quad-turbo, quad-cam V12, 600bhp, four-wheel drive and one of the most illustrious badges in the business, all for one-eighth of the price of a McLaren F1. Does it come any better?"

Bugatti EB110s for sale in the Classic Driver Market

Lamborghini Countach

Simon Kidston believes that alongside the Miura, Lamborghini's show-stopping Countach will also enjoy success in 2014. "I would say a Countach is one of the 'cars to watch' in 2014, particularly the early examples. It seems there's a generational change underway, and cars from the 70s, 80s and 90s are beginning to enjoy their period in the limelight, as the people that remember them from when they were younger are now able to afford them. The Countach is one of the most dramatic cars ever produced, and it's just now starting to be considered as a collector's item rather than a second-hand supercar."

Lamborghini Countaches for sale in the Classic Driver Market

Aston Martin V8

Karl-Helmut Larkamp of E. Thiesen Berlin singles out the post-DB6 Astons for their potential, in particular the DBS and AM V8. "These high-quality vehicles are completely undervalued and now that DB6s are barely affordable, the later cars look like they might enjoy an enormous increase in demand in the near future. These vehicles are great to drive, very comfortable, and the bigger cars offer a lot for the money."

Aston Martin V8s for sale in the Classic Driver Market

Photos: Tim Scott for RM Auctions, Aston Martin, DK Engineering, Hallier Classic Cars, Kidston SA, Bugatti

Taurean thunder: The new Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4

It’s official: the long-awaited Lamborghini Gallardo successor will be named the ‘Huracán’, and retains V10 power to take the fight to the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren…

The Huracán bull was apparently known for 'outstanding courage and a strong sense of attack'

With more than 14,000 examples sold over a 10-year production period, the Gallardo is easily the most successful model in the brand’s illustrious past. However, the calls for it to retire on a high have been building for some time now, and this is its replacement: the Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4. After 130 private preview events for VIP customers taking place in the New Year, the Huracán will be revealed to the world at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2014.

True to form, the company has named its newest-born after a breed of fighting bull. Fighting in Alicante in 1879, the Huracán was apparently known for 'outstanding courage and a strong sense of attack, showing his unrelenting character and remaining defiant and invincible' – qualities which also happen to be useful when locking horns with the finest sports cars from England, Germany and Italy.

A familiar format

Like its predecessor, the Huracán is propelled by a 5.2-litre V10 with power distributed through all four wheels – only this time, a stronger focus has been placed on frugality. Stop/start technology is now present, while a combination of direct and indirect fuel injection is claimed to reduce consumption while offering performance benefits over the Gallardo. Thanks to the namechecked 610HP, the Huracán will reach 62mph from standstill in 3.2 seconds, with the 0-124mph sprint dispatched in 9.9 seconds. The latter is of more relevance as a performance indicator by today’s standards – and, by comparison, an Enzo takes 10.3 seconds.

Chasing Ferraris into the storm

Central to the Huracán’s 'systematic lightweight design' is a carbon and aluminium hybrid cell, which provides enhanced torsional stiffness while helping to keep the dry weight pegged at 1,422kg. Dynamic set-ups, including settings for gearbox, engine response, sound, drive distribution and stability control (variable ratio steering and magnetorheological dampers too, should they be specified), can all be modified by the Ferrari Manettino-style switch mounted on the wheel, which toggles between Strada, Sport and Corsa. All other settings – including navigation and infotainment – are managed via a 12.3-inch TFT monitor residing in the driver's instrument binnacle.

Thankfully, the exterior design seems to draw inspiration from its wild yet well-resolved bigger brother, rather than the toy-like lines of the more recent Veneno and Egoista ‘specials’. The Huracán certainly has some successful tyre tracks in which to follow. Yet in not straying too far from a successful formula, while bringing each aspect in line with the cream of current supercars, the Italians certainly seem ready to cause a storm.

Photos: Lamborghini

Both modern and classic Lamborghinis can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.