WRC – M-Sport avec le Qatar et Al-Attiyah en 2013

Nasser Al-Attiyah disputera sept épreuves du WRC avec M-Sport.
© IRC Series / Eurosport Eve

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M-Sport pourra continuer à se battre en WRC. L'équipe britannique a signé un partenariat avec le Qatar qui deviendra son sponsor-titre en 2013 et engagera trois voitures, dont une pour Nasser Al-Attiyah.

L'avenir de M-Sport était incertain suite au retrait de Ford du WRC mais l'équipe de Malcolm Wilson pourra continuer à faire rouler ses Fiesta RS WRC grâce à un partenariat signé avec le Qatar comme sponsor-titre. L'équipe de Cumbria pourra ainsi engager trois Fiesta RS WRC, dont une sera réservée à Nasser Al-Attiyah. « Nous sommes ravis de signer ce partenariat avec un partenaire aussi prestigieux que le Qatar pour 2013 », commente le directeur de l'équipe britannique. « Ce partenariat avec Nasser et le Qatar va permettre à M-Sport de continuer au sommet de la discipline et nous sommes impatients de travailler ensemble. Le travail n'a pas cessé depuis la fin de la saison 2012 et l'équipe entière se bat contre le temps afin de bénéficier d'un package compétitif l'année prochaine. »

Nasser Al-Attiyah disputant déjà le Championnat du Moyen-Orient des Rallyes avec une Fiesta RRC préparée par M-Sport, le Qatari s'était montré très proche du directeur du team britannique au Rallye de Chypre où il s'était d'ailleurs imposé. L'ancien pilote Citroën s'étant séparé du constructeur aux Chevrons suite au partenariat de la marque avec Abou Dhabi, son avenir se disputera désormais sous les couleurs de la concurrence. Le vainqueur du Dakar 2011 sera engagé sur sept épreuves la saison prochaine. « Nous attendons impatiemment de construire notre solide partenariat avec M-Sport et travailler avec eux en 2013 », commente le Qatari. « J'ai une bonne connaissance de la voiture après avoir piloté la Fiesta S2000 depuis ses premières victoires en 2010 et en étant sur le point d'accrocher mon huitième titre au Moyen-Orient avec la Fiesta RRC. J'ai hâte de me retrouver au volant de la Fiesta RS WRC et disputer autant d'épreuves que possible selon mes autres engagements sportifs. »

Mads Ostberg évoluera au sein du Qatar M-Sport WRT en 2013. Le Norvégien, qui s'est imposé cette année au Rallye du Portugal, participera à l'intégralité du Championnat.

Jacques-Armand Dupuis(AUTOHEBDO)

Garret Dietz's '79 CX 500

Lancia Rally Legends: The dirty years

They’re bright red and arrive in a group of three, but that’s where the similarities with London buses end. Each of these colour co-ordinated Lancias is a descendant of a rally legend, meaning terrific performance, sky-high street cred and considerable rarity.

Whether it’s the fabled Stratos, low-slung 037 or steroidal Delta integrale, each has a lineage steeped in mud-ridden competition pedigree. Now, many of the original rally-prepped cars have been hidden in private collections – so what better than to take a look at their road-going alter-egos?

Lancia Stratos Stradale




Lancia’s trilogy of successful rally cars is rooted in 1970, and the launch ofBertone’s Stratos Zero concept car. The resulting Stratos HF shared little aesthetically with its namesake, but nevertheless took the automotive world by storm with its wedgy shape and blistering performance. Packing a Ferrari Dino-sourced 2.4-litre V6 developing upwards of 270bhp, it virtually owned the World Rally Championship from 1974 until 1976, thus becoming a legend almost instantaneously.

Of course, homologation was required before the Stratos was eligible for competition success. Enter the Stratos Stradale, whose detuned (to around 190bhp) engine provided a sub-5-second 0-62mph sprint time and a top speed of 144mph. However, the quest for that kind of performance – and the rush to build the number of cars required for homologation – meant build quality and ergonomic considerations were not given much attention. But all that is instantly forgiven when the front and rear sections are tipped, allowing a peek at the rally-derived mechanicals.

Lancia 037



Tasked with following in the Stratos’s sizeable footsteps was a car simply known by its internal project number: #037. It was the product of a dream partnership between Lancia, Abarth and Pininfarina, and used a supercharged 2.0-litre four-pot feeding up to 350bhp to the rear wheels. The 037 took the Constructors' title in the 1983 World Rally Championship; the subsequent success of four-wheel drive meant the Lancia was the last rear-driven car to do so. 

Like its predecessor, the ‘Stradale’ version used a detuned version of the rally-spec engine in the interests of long-term reliability, resulting in a more modest 205bhp output. However, the car’s amidships engine placement and low weight (around 1,170kg) meant an entertaining drive, despite the car being relatively well-appointed for a homologation special. The spritely 037 was garnished with electric windows and interior carpeting, while the deletion of the black rubber rear spoiler rectified the rearward vision problems that were a bugbear of the Stratos. All road-going 037s were originally finished in red.

Lancia Delta Integrale HF



After the 037’s rapid obsolescence following the across-board switch to four-wheel drive, Lancia developed the Delta S4. Although it looked dissimilar to its predecessor, the new all-wheel-drive car shared much in common with the 037 beneath its carbonfibre composite bodywork; it employed a tubular spaceframe construction and mid-engine layout (in contrast with the front-engined road car). With Group B regulations still in effect, it was not uncommon for rally-prepared S4s to produce over 500bhp; the 200 Stradale versions made 250bhp.

The abolition of the Group B class proved a blessing in disguise for Lancia: while it left competitors with no suitable cars on which to base their Group A machines, the front-engined Delta HF 4WD was the perfect solution for the Italian marque. This and the subsequent 'integrale' iterations of the Delta meant Lancia secured the Constructors' championship for a record six consecutive years, which of course gave the Delta instant hero status.



Rounding off our striking trio, the Delta shown here is an Evo II version. Despite being catalysed, it wrung 5bhp more than the Evo I from the same 1,995cc engine, giving a total figure of 212bhp. While the initiated will know that the Evo II was never campaigned by the factory, this 1994 example offers a delightful introduction to competition-bred machinery – indeed, we’d recommend learning to tame one of these first, before moving on to the more demanding Stratos and 037.

Further Links All three Lancia rally legends from our photo production are currently being offered for sale by Classic Driver dealer Elite Garage AG Lancia Stratos Stradale Lancia 037 Lancia Delta integrale HF Numerous other classic and modern Lancias can be found in the Classic Driver Marketplace

Text: Joe Breeze
Photos: Jan Baedeker

Shopping from 1977 - Men's Club Magazine

from archivalclothing.com
Per Peter Allen - Everything Old is New Again. I've been browsing through the pages of Men's Club magazine from Japan. Who needs a costly Free & Easy subscription when everything about outdoor and inspired cycling garb has already been spelled out in 1977. Here are a few sample views:





I love the mixed view approach of Japanese magazines: model the fashion and then provide a beautifully arranged, spatialized shopping list of essential supplies. Even in 1977, Brooks saddles, lace up leather cycling shoes and French cyclo-tourist bags were the final word.




Makes sense to me - backpacking along the interstate. Don't forget your flask and water filter.