Lamborghini Porrentruy: The sign of Taurus

Perhaps it's the good country air of the Swiss Jura that makes bulls feel so at home in the small town of Porrentruy, near the French border. Here, 30 years ago, Roland Affolter created a place of pilgrimage for Lamborghini enthusiasts...

The story begins in the early 1980s at the Geneva Motor Show: Roland Affolter, son of a farmer and avid automobile dealer, fell in love with the razor-sharp Lamborghini Countach - and not long after, he became the cars' official importer in Switzerland. When, in the early 1990s, the Countach was succeeded by the Diablo, Roland Affolter began not only to sell, but also to customise the V12 supercars. With plenty of carbon, new body elements, headlights, wheels and even automatic sunroofs, he created striking 'Evolution' models that captured the hearts of his customers. 

Lamborghini icons from three decades

Today, Affolter operates two showrooms, one in Porrentruy and one in Geneva; however, many of his customers originate from the early years and appreciate the classics. Hence in Porrentruy you'll find not only the latest Lamborghinis - such as the Aventador Anniversario and numerous Gallardo variants - on display in the showroom, but also a dozen Diablos in different stages of evolution, through to wild variations of the Murciélago , two or three Countaches, an LM002, and the two million-dollar Reventón in both coupé and roadster form. 

A small museum

Meanwhile, in another room, you can admire a customer's collection that includes such models as the Miura Jota and Diablo VT Roadster, while the in-house workshop currently sees an early Countach being fitted with a new interior. Anyone with a passion for Sant 'Agata bulls shouldn't miss the chance to visit Lamborghini Porrentruy.

Photos: Jan Baedeker

Lamborghini Porrentruy's current stock can be found in the Classic Driver Market.

Volkswagen Baja Bugs!

Ever wonder how to start your own off road club? On this episode of Dirt Every Day, Fred and his friend Dave start an off road club, buy Volkswagen Baja Bugs and head to the desert to have a drive like idiots and have fun.

VW Type II split-window truck

la cigarette après ...........

Etape 3 - Dakar 2014

BMW special Edition anni 80

Dakar,Leg 3: Roma takes the lead / étape 3 : Roma, nouveau leader

The third day of the 2014 Dakar has produced a third leader, namely Nani Roma (Mini/Michelin) who won today’s stage to go ahead of team-mates Terranova and Al-Attiyah in the overall standings. Peterhansel dropped almost half-an-hour.

Troisième étape, et troisième leader différent sur ce Dakar 2014. L’Espagnol Nani Roma (Mini/Michelin) a remporté la spéciale du jour et prend les commandes du rallye devant ses équipiers Terranova et Al-Attiyah. Peterhansel a perdu près d’une demi-heure.

San Juan is protected from the cool Pacific winds by the lofty Andes Mountains and is consequently one of Argentina’s most arid and hottest cities. As competitors started to arrive at tonight’s camp there, the temperature exceeded a cool 40°C!

Today’s stage was initially shortened by a few kilometres because of road-damage caused by recent heavy rain. The organisers eventually changed their minds, however, and the full 301km course was run along the rocky Andean slopes in the shadow of the snow-capped Mount Aconcagua.

In a repeat of the 2012 rally when Nani Roma won the stage and Peterhansel fell from the top of the order, the Spaniard was fastest once again in his Mini ALL4 Racing/Michelin, beating team-mate Krzysztof Holowczyc by a margin of 1m7s.

“We did a great job today”, he reported at the finish. “You really had to stay focused because of all the stones, river beds and off-road portions. Bravo, Michel [Périn, Nani’s co-driver]!”

The two Mini/Michelin drivers were chased over the line by De Villiers’s team-mate Leeroy Poulter who was third in his Toyota Hilux. After suffering vapour lock since the start, Guerlain Chicherit (5^th) and Robby Gordon (6^th) managed to squeeze their powerful American prototypes between the Mini’s of Terranova (4^th) and Al-Attiyah (7^th).

Erik Wervers claimed a merit worthy eighth place ahead of former WRC driver Federico Villagra (Mini ALL4 Racing) and fellow Dutch Ford-HRX prototype driver Erik Van Loon. De Villiers (13^th) and Carlos Sainz (18^th) both lost around a quarter-of-an-hour.

Just as he did here two years ago, Peterhansel fell back to fifth overall after dropping a big chunk of time (almost 30 minutes) because of a number of punctures, both on the stony section and on the off-road portion which took competitors through bushes bristling with sharp thorns that succeeded in piercing his tyres’ extremely strong casings.

Michelin-equipped Minis still monopolise the provisional podium thanks to Roma, Terranova and Al-Attiyah. Sainz is not far behind in fourth spot, ahead of Peterhansel, De Villiers, Lavieille and Holowczyc who are covered by 10 minutes.

Wednesday’s action will take crews to the small yet bustling town of Chilecito after a stage that has been split into two parts for the car competitors. The first is 217km long and the second, after a 156km asphalt road section, is 284km in length, including a portion which climbs to an altitude of more than 3,500 metres.

Protégée des vents frais océaniques par la Cordillère des Andes, San Juan est l’une des villes les plus arides et plus chaudes d’Argentine. Cette année encore, le thermomètre dépassait allègrement les 40°C lorsque les 1^ers concurrents sont entrés au bivouac situé sur les hauteurs de la ville surchauffée.

Avant le départ de la 1^ère auto, on avait annoncé une spéciale raccourcie de quelques kilomètres en raison de pistes ravinées par les pluies tombées récemment. Finalement, l’organisateur a maintenu la spéciale originelle de 301 km chronométrés tracée sur les pistes caillouteuses des flancs andins, sous le regard neigeux de l’Aconcagua.

L’histoire semble se répéter, parfois. A San Juan, en 2012, Nani Roma avait remporté la spéciale et Stéphane Peterhansel avait perdu le commandement du rallye. Et bien aujourd’hui, l’Espagnol a récidivé au volant de sa Mini ALL4 Racing/Michelin. Il s’est imposé avec 1min07s d’avance sur son équipier Krzysztof Holowczyc,

« On a fait un super boulot aujourd’hui », racontait Nani Roma à l’arrivée, nouveau leader du rallye. « Il fallait être très concentré car il y avait plein de cailloux, des rios à traverser, du hors-piste, bravo à Michel. »

Derrière ce doublé Mini/Michelin, l’équipier de De Villiers, Leeroy Poulter, a pris la 3^e place sur son Toyota Hilux. Victimes de « vapor-lock » depuis le départ, Guerlain Chicherit (5^e) et Robby Gordon (6^e) ont réussi à intercaler les puissants protos américains entre les Mini de Terranova (4^e) et d’Al-Attiyah (7^e).

Erik Wervers a pris une belle 8^e place sur son Ford-HRX devant la Mini ALL4 Racing du pilote WRC Federico Villagra et l’autre proto Ford-HRX du Néerlandais Erik Van Loon. De Villiers (13^e) et Carlos Sainz (18^e) ont perdu environ un quart d’heure.

Comme en 2012, le leader Stéphane Peterhansel a concédé beaucoup de temps, près d’une demi-heure, et chuté à la 5^e place du classement général…comme il y a deux ans ! Le Français a connu de multiples crevaisons, sur des pierres, mais surtout dans une partie en hors-piste truffée d’épineux dont les pointes ont perforé les enveloppes pourtant robustes.

Au classement général, trois Mini/Michelin occupent le tiercé de tête provisoire avec Roma, Terranova et Al-Attiyah. Carlos Sainz est en embuscade au 4^e rang, devant Peterhansel, De Villiers, Lavieille et Holowczyc, groupés en 10 minutes.

Demain, le Dakar fera halte dans la petite ville toujours très animée de Chilecito après une spéciale coupée en deux parties pour les autos : 217 km, puis 156 de liaison sur asphalte, et 284 km chronométrés avec un passage à près de 3500 mètres d’altitude.

Classement étape 3

1. Roma/Périn (Mini/Michelin), 2h58min52 – 2. Holowczyc/Zhiltsov (Mini/Michelin), +1min07s – 3. Poulter/Howie (Toyota/Michelin), +3min19s – 4. Terranova/Fiuza (Mini/Michelin), +4min54s – 5. Chicherit/Winocq (Jefferies DB), +6min52s…

Classement général

1. Roma/Périn (Mini/Michelin), 9h20min13s – 2. Terranova/Fiuza (Mini/Michelin), +9min06s – 3. Al-Attiyah/Cruz (Mini/Michelin), +10min00s – 4. Sainz/Gottschalk (Buggy SMG), +12min02s – 5. Peterhansel/Cottret (Mini/Michelin), +24min08s…

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.

Creating a storm: Lamborghini Aventador BAPE Arctic Camo

What type of vehicle would you want to take to the top of a mountain? Why, something with four-wheel drive, a ski box and plenty of cylinders, of course…

You might think that interpreting these requirements as a modified Lamborghini Aventador, rather than say, a G-Wagon or an old V8 Defender, would be a schoolboy's error. But Canadian tuning firm Dynamic Performance has in fact taken inspiration from professional Swedish skier Jon Olsson, who has been running supercars fitted with custom roofboxes and body wraps as daily drivers for some years now. His back catalogue includes two Gallardos, two Murciélagos (one being a 670-4 SV), a Nissan GT-R and an Audi R8.

Dynamic Performance’s Aventador has a few body modifications from (thankfully) the more subtle end of the usual supercar tuning spectrum, but the most obvious is that white-and-blue camouflage wrap. It was designed by Japanese clothing manufacturer A Bathing Ape (commonly shortened to 'BAPE'), which has previously clothed numerous cars in camouflage patterns – including the founder’s AMG-tuned 300 SL.

Photos: Marcel Lech

For further information about Jon Olsson's 'skiboxed' cars, visit jon-olsson.com.

Numerous Lamborghinis can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

Hot Rod

Etape 2 - Dakar 2014

Dakar,Leg 2: Peterhansel in command / étape 2 : Peterhansel prend la tête

The 2014 Dakar’s second stage was won by Stéphane Peterhansel (Mini/Michelin), ahead of two other former winners: Carlos Sainz (SMG Buggy, +46s) and Giniel de Villiers (Toyota Hilux, +5m34s). Today’s result sees the Frenchman take over at the top of the leaderboard, 28s clear of the Spanish two-time world rally champion. Four Mini/Michelins figure in tonight’s top five.

Stéphane Peterhansel (Mini/Michelin) a remporté la deuxième étape du Rallye Dakar 2014 devant Carlos Sainz (Buggy SMG, +46s) et un autre ancien vainqueur, le Sud-Africain Giniel de Villiers (Toyota Hilux, +5min34s). Le Français s’installe en tête pour 28 secondes devant le double champion du monde des rallyes. Quatre Mini/Michelin figurent dans le top-five provisoire.

The grey El Nihuil dunes some 100km from San Rafael count among Mendoza province’s chief tourist attractions. Today, they were visited by the 2014 Dakar’s competitors, 259km into the event’s second stage (433km) which climbed to as high as 2,000 metres in the Sierra Nevado.

Tonight, San Rafael’s typical autodromo is hosting an overnight camp on the Dakar for the third time. In 2010, Carlos Sainz led when he showed up here, while Stéphane Peterhansel emerged in front in San Rafael in 2012 despite the day’s stage being won by Nasser Al-Attiyah in his powerful Hummer.

Today, the same three drivers figured among the front-runners during the early part of today’s stage. After covering the first 259km at an average speed of 121kph (!), it was Peterhansel who led as they started to tackle the famous dunes, however. At this point, he was 10 seconds clear of Carlos Sainz and 6m52s ahead of his team-mate Al-Attiyah who had been slowed by punctures. Spain’s Nani Roma had dropped time because of hanging dust, while the overnight leader Carlos Sousa (Haval H8) was halted by a broken turbo at Km33.

Peterhansel pushed hard through the dunes to lay the foundations for his first stage win of the rally which, in a repeat of 2012’s scenario, allowed him to take provisional first place in San Rafael. The 11-time Dakar victor beat Carlos Sainz by 46s and now leads the Spaniard by 28s.

Giniel de Villiers (Toyota Hilux) started the morning in 16^th place but managed to ease past a raft of rivals to claim third spot on today’s test, ahead of Mini ALL4-Racing drivers Roma (+7m25s), Al-Attiyah (+7m44s) and Orlando Terranova (+12m41s). Sainz’s team-mate Ronan Chabot (SMG Buggy) was seventh, ahead of Christian Lavieille (Haval) and Argentina's Lucio Alvarez (Ford Ranger). South Africa’s Leeroy Poulter (Toyota Hilux) dropped almost three-quarters of an hour.

Leg 3 (596km) will take competitors north to San Juan. Wednesday’s stage (301km) will start near Mendoza and climb to an altitude of more than 3,000 metres in the Andean foothills before a tricky descent back into the heat of San Juan. The first car is due to leave San Rafael at 6:08am local time, and the stage is scheduled to begin at 10:48am after a 292km run-out

A une petite centaine de kilomètres de San Rafael, les dunes grises d’El Nihuil sont une des nombreuses attractions touristiques de la province de Mendoza. Elles étaient proposées aux concurrents du Dakar 2014 au Km 259 de cette 2^e étape, une boucle longue de 433 km, qui grimpait jusqu’à 2000 mètres d’altitude dans la Sierra Nevado.

San Rafael et son authentique Autodromo accueillaient pour la 3^e fois le Rallye Dakar. En 2010, Carlos Sainz y était arrivé en vainqueur. En 2012, Nasser Al-Attiyah avait fait parler la puissance de son Hummer pour remporter l’étape, mais c’est Stéphane Peterhansel qui avait pris les rênes de l’épreuve.

Ces trois mêmes pilotes ont animé la 1^ère partie de l’étape. Après 259 km engloutis à 121 km/h de moyenne (!!), Peterhansel s’est présenté au pied des dunes grises avec 10s d’avance sur le Buggy de Carlos Sainz et 6min52s sur son équipier Al-Attiyah, victime de crevaisons. L’Espagnol Nani Roma avait perdu du temps dans la poussière, alors que le leader du rallye ce matin, Carlos Sousa, avait dû s’arrêter à cause d’un turbo cassé sur son Haval H8 au Km 33.

Dans le cordon de dunes, le « onzuple » vainqueur Dakar Stéphane Peterhansel a attaqué de plus belle pour remporter la 2^e étape et, comme en 2012, prendre la tête de la course à San Rafael. Il s’est imposé avec 46s d’avance sur Carlos Sainz qui pointe à seulement 28s au classement général. Parti en 16^e position ce matin, le Sud-Africain a doublé de nombreux concurrents pour terminer à la 3^e place du jour sur son Toyota Hilux, devant trois Mini ALL4-Racing : Nani Roma (+7min25s), Nasser Al-Attiyah (+7min44s) et Orlando Terranova (+12min41s). L’équipier de Sainz, Ronan Chabot, (Buggy SMG) a pris la 7^e place devant Christian Lavieille (Haval) et l’Argentin Lucio Alvarez (Ford Ranger). Le Sud-Africain Leeroy Poulter (Toyota Hilux) a perdu près de ¾ d’heure.

Demain, le Dakar prend de la hauteur et met le cap au Nord pour la 3^e étape entre San Rafael et San Juan longue de 596 km. La spéciale (301 km) s’élancera près de Mendoza et courra sur les contreforts des Andes, passant parfois à plus de 3000 mètres d’altitude, avant de plonger dans la fournaise de San Juan. La 1^ère auto quittera le bivouac à 6h08 (10h08 heure française) pour un départ de spéciale à 10h48 (14h48) après 292 km de liaison.

Classement étape 2

1. Peterhansel/Cottret (Mini/Michelin), 3h52min05s – 2. Sainz/Gottschalk (Buggy), +46s – 3. De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz (Toyota/Michelin), +5min34s – 4. Roma/Périn (Mini/Michelin), +7min25s – 5. Al-Attiyah/Cruz (Mini/Michelin), +7min34s…

Classement général

1. Peterhansel/Cottret (Mini/Michelin), 6h17min02s – 2. Sainz/Gottschalk (Buggy), +28s – 3. Al-Attiyah/Cruz (Mini/Michelin), +4min10s – 4. Roma/Périn (Mini/Michelin), +4min19s – 5. Terranova/Fiuza (Mini/Michelin), +8min31s…

Dakar – Leg 2: Monday’s stage win for Sunderland, Barreda still leads / Etape 2 : victoire de Sunderland, Barreda reste leader

Sam Sunderland (Honda-Michelin) was the fastest rider on Leg 2’s 359km stage en route from San Luis to San Rafael. The Briton finished clear of Chile’s Chaleco Lopez (KTM-Michelin) and fellow Honda runner Joan Barreda who still tops the provisional leaderboard.

Sam Sunderland (Honda) s’est montré le plus rapide lors de la deuxième spéciale chronométrée longue de 359 km entre San Luis et San Rafael. Il devance à l’arrivée le chilien Chaleco Lopez (KTM-Michelin) et son coéquipier Joan Barreda (Honda-Michelin) qui conserve sa place de leader au général.

Sunderland is contesting the Dakar for only the second time on his Honda CRF 450 Rally. He retired on Day 2 in 2012 and was forced to sit out the 2013 rally through injury, but today saw him claim the first stage victory on the event of his career.

In addition to being quick, the 24-year old is a talented navigator and he completed today’s 359km test in a time of 3h42m10s. At the halfway point, he was fourth overall, 3m15s adrift of Barreda, but he produced a stunning run over the infamous grey dunes near Nihuil to claw back time and beat Chaleco Lopez by a margin of 39 seconds. His performance makes it two stage victories from two so far for Honda, while team-mate Barreda was third (+2m0s).

Fourth place went to Cyril Despres’ former back-up rider Ruben Faria (+4m7s, KTM-Michelin) who was second in 2013. Alain Duclos (Sherco-Michelin) ran well again and was fifth (+5m51s).

Meanwhile, Marc Coma (KTM-Michelin) and Cyril Despres (Yamaha Factory Racing) both dropped more than eight minutes to today’s pacesetter (+8m23s and +8m43s respectively) and have consequently lost ground in the overall order. Coma is down to fifth (+7m0s) and Despres is eighth (+8m23s).

Australian rider Ben Graham (KTM-Michelin), David Casteu (KTM-Michelin) and Paulo Goncalves (Honda-Michelin) all posted similar times to round off Stage 2’s top eight.

The overall leaderboard continues to be topped by Barreda who is now 2m3s clear of Lopez. Sunderland’s success has taken him from overnight ninth to third place, exactly half-a-minute behind Lopez. Duclos is still fourth (+5m47s).

Tuesday’s competitive action (373km) will see competitors climb the slopes of the Aconcagua volcano to an altitude of 4,300 metres. The initial section of the fortnight’s first marathon stage (1,038km) will take them to tonight’s halt in San Juan where no servicing will be permitted.

The day could play a key role in the fight for victory since riders will need to be careful with their bikes if they want to reach Chilecito safely on Wednesday evening.

San Sunderland au guidon de sa Honda CRF 450 Rally remporte sa première victoire d’étape  pour sa seconde participation. Suite à un abandon précoce à l’issue de la deuxième étape en 2012, le pilote britannique, âgé seulement de 24 ans, avait dû déclarer forfait en 2013 pour cause de blessure.

Rapide et disposant de bonnes capacités de navigation, Sam Sunderland est venu à bout des 359 km de spéciale en 3h42min10. Pointé en quatrième position à mi-parcours à 3min15 du leader Barreda, Sunderland a su déjouer les pièges des dunes grises de la région de Nihuil et parfaire son retard pour s’imposer avec 39 secondes d’avance sur Chaleco Lopez. Il offre à Honda une seconde victoire d’étape consécutive. Son coéquipier Barreda se classe troisième à 2 minutes.

L’ancien porteur d’eau de Cyril Despres, Ruben Faria (KTM-Michelin), deuxième de l’édition 2013, s’est hissé à la quatrième place accusant un retard de 4min07 sur le vainqueur du jour.  Alain Duclos (Sherco-Michelin) a confirmé son bon début de rallye en terminant cinquième à 5 minutes.

En revanche, Marc Coma (KTM-Michelin) et Cyril Despres (Yamaha Factory Racing), neuvième et dixième, ont concédé plus de 8 minutes chacun. L’Espagnol abandonne 8min23 et le Français 8min43 à Sunderland. Les deux grands favoris rétrogradent au classement général. Coma occupe  désormais la cinquième place (+7min) alors que Despres glisse au huitième rang (+8min23).

L’Australien Ben Graham (KTM-Michelin), David Casteu (KTM-Michelin) et Paulo Goncalves (Honda-Michelin) terminent en tir groupé séparés que de quelques secondes et s’intercalent de la sixième à la huitième place.

Au classement général, Barreda conserve la tête et compte 2min03 d’avance sur Lopez. Sa première victoire d’étape associée à sa neuvième place hier permet à Sunderland de compléter le podium provisoire à 30 secondes du Chilien. Duclos pointe toujours à la quatrième place à 5min47 du leader.

Demain, les concurrents escaladeront une partie du volcan de l’Aconcagua et grimperont jusqu’à 4300 mètres d’altitude. La première partie de la première étape marathon longue de 1038 km (373 km de spéciale) les conduira à San Juan où ils seront accueillis dans un bivouac dédié sans assistance.

La troisième étape peut s’annoncer d’ores et déjà capitale dans la course à la victoire. Les motards devront ménager la mécanique s’ils souhaitent rallier Chilecito mercredi soir.

Classement Etape 2 :

Sunderland 3h42min10s – 2. Lopez (KTM-Michelin) +39s – 3. Barreda (Honda-Michelin) +2min – 4. Faria (KTM-Michelin) +4min07 – 5. Duclos (Sherco-Michelin) +5min51,…9. Coma (KTM-Michelin) +8min23 – 10. Despres (Yamaha-Michelin) +8min43.

Classement général :

Barreda 6h9min4 – 2. Lopez +2min03 – 3. Sunderland +2min33 – 4. Duclos +5min47 – 5. Coma +7min – 6. Faria +7min18 – 7. Goncalez +8min10 – 8. Despres +8min23,…

Mongolia 2013

August 2013
21 Days
7 People
5000 Km off-road
(Moscow) - Barnaul - Altai - Tuva - Mongolia -Baikal - (Moscow)

Offroadpeople: Mongolia 2013 from grom1300 on Vimeo.

Aaron Miller’s CB350

Las Vegas, the Desert City that never sleeps, where you win big or lose big. The destination of a thousand tales of excess and debauchery. As a day tripper it’s difficult to fathom that people actually come from there, a pop up mirage in a desert of open space. But they do. Aaron Jay Miller does, born and raised, and judging by the skills and passion this guy has, it can be a melting pot of creativity and purpose as well as decadence and demise.

Aaron is an artist and fabricator that builds props and sets for Theatre and Television, he currently works in the Vegas prop and fabrication shop of the legendary Cirque Du Soleil. If you have ever had the pleasure of seeing one of this troupe’s death defying, wondrous shows, you will know that precision, beauty and execution are essential in every aspect of their world. Luckily for us, Aaron has now begun to turn his craftsman hands to creating motorcycles. With the skill-set he has picked-up through his profession, it was inevitable that when he decided to create a motorcycle with the tools he had in his garage, something very special would emerge.

The starting point was a 72′ Honda cb350 found on craigslist in Utah. Aaron teamed up with buddy Phil, and they took on the trip to collect the bike and it’s re-assembly together, dividing the workload to conquer the build. Aaron approached bike building from the same perspective he uses to create custom art pieces, viewing the bike as art on wheels. With the end goal of a brat style scrambler they set to work. Buy the ticket, take the ride.

Phil began stripping down the bike, removing superfluous parts and cleaning out the carb, whilst Aaron set to work on the tank. After repairing a dent, stripping the paint and polishing it up Aaron decided the bare metal finish on the tank was just too cool to hide with paintwork. This decision infused the rest of the build, “the idea came up to build a bunch of custom parts out of steel for the bike and just do a brushed steel look for the whole bike.” The first of these steel fabrications were new fork shroud headlight brackets to replace the old tired chrome versions. These, of course, do not simply grip the original fibreglass headlight, Aaron made a new stepped, steel headlight shell and fitted a contrasting black peak to the lamp dropping a hint of steampunk into the brat look. Next up were the trick handlebars that were fabricated to incorporate a hidden mounting system that utilise the riser bolt holes. The cockpit is completed with a crescent steel moon dashboard incorporating simple clocks and warning lights. Chunky foot pegs were then turned and wrapped with skateboard deck tape to keep boots/Vans from the desert floor.

The stance of the bike was altered by dropping the forks 1.5 inches through the trees to generate a more parallel profile, emphasised by the matching sizes of the front and rear Kenda trials tires that frequently draw curious questions. Aaron further carved and cleaned the looks by lopping-off the rear framework and rebuilding it with 1 inch tubing to his desired proportions. Then life began to get in the way, (I guess Vegas can be a distracting town) “I got tied up with other projects and the bike sat for a bit, then I saw a flyer for the deus bike build off in LA and decided to finish it up and bring it to the event.” Work kicked on again in earnest.

Aaron built all new battery and electrical mounts then covered them with an aluminum seat pan. Next Aaron mined his group of talented friends and hired Cirque du Soleil colleague, Antonio, from the prop and puppet department to construct the leatherwork for the seat to his own specifications. Predictably Antonio’s work and craftsmanship yielded stunning results as well. (The seat has just enough room for a showgirl on the back, but with no pegs she would have to wrap those legs around you for the blast up the strip… Sorry, I deviate….) With only a day left before the Deus build off, Aaron fabricated a steel tail light and a natty license plate holder before hitting the road to L.A. at midnight. Awesome.

In Aaron’s words, “the bike did not win but it was well liked by everyone there which made me want to go home and build another right away. Which is exactly what I did, now my garage is filled with 6 bikes and I’m thinking about quitting my job to build bikes!” On this occasion we are very happy to say that what happens in Vegas, has not stayed in Vegas. Keep building em’ Aaron, and we will keep showing em’ on the ‘Shed.

Thanks go to Cierra Miller for the stunning, apt photography of this desert sled. Check out aaronjaymiller.comfor more information.

Written & Posted by Gareth@TheBikeShed

from PIPEBURN

NEED FOR SPEED: KEN BLOCK'S GYMKHANA SIX

Need For Speed's Racing Advisor Ken Block built the ultimate Gymkhana GRID course -- a real-life playground to showcase the sheer speed, fun and exhilarating action of driving. This means all-new obstacles that help raise the difficulty for Block to master in his Ford Fiesta ST RX43 2013 racecar, including maneuvering around a moving wrecking ball and sliding through narrow opening cut into the sides of shipping containers. Block also added videogame elements from Need for Speed Rivals. Watch as he executes multiple jumps, drifts around Lamborghini Aventadors and evades the videogame-themed Redview County cops on Segways in his own unique style. You can almost smell the burn of the rubber as he tears up this incredible course. So sit back and enjoy the ride.