Kott Motorcycles

Alfa Romeo Live at 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed is underway and as the weather’s so good the organisers could not have picked a better weekend to gather together past, present and future cars from the roads and from the race track. This year’s event celebrates the Porsche 911, McLaren’s first 50 years and 45 years of Martini Racing, but visitors have so much more to see.

Alfa Romeo is using this year’s festival to mark its centenary. Most of the attention at the Alfa Pavilion has been reserved for the Alfa Romeo C4. The 240bhp sports car is being put through its paces on the famous hill climb, which officials for the Italian car maker says is “so technical and difficult that it provides a tough test for the concentration and reactions of the best drivers in the world.”

The rear-wheel drive sports car is proving quick and spectacular up the hill and looks great as the centrepiece of the Alfa Pavilion, which it shares with the Alfa Giulietta MultiAir Sportiva and Alfa MiTo TwinAir Sportiva. The Italian marque is showing examples of its historic past at the Cathedral Paddock near Crossroads Corner. Cars like the 1951 Gran Premio Tipo 159 “Alfetta”, the 1750 GT Am from 1970 and the 33 TT 12 from 1975 can be seen for free as Goodwood doesn’t charge an entry price for any of its paddocks.

Alfa Romeo at Goodwood

With a handful of Formula One cars from the 1950s and 1980s on display, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is proving to be a popular destination for Alfa Romeo enthusiasts, car lovers and motor racing fans alike.

from Eurocarblog

Original BMW 7 Series E23

We don’t get all teary-eyed and nostalgic about cars like the BMW 7-Series because it’s not the type of car to produce an emotional response, but it’s certainly an important car which represented a change in the way the German car maker was seen by the car buying public. This is the car that set the Bravarian firm onto the path to becoming the luxury car makerwe know today, so it represents an important milestone for the firm.

The 7-Series was the largest and most luxurious car BMW had ever brought to market when it was launched in 1977. This was the firm’s first attempt at rivalling the might of Mercedes-Benz and in order to get a leg up on the competition, BMW used the E23 7-Series as a showcase for their newest technology.

The car was so advanced for the time that the same model stayed in production for 10 years. Each car came with service interval indicators, check controls that alerted the driver to any faults and an advanced climate control system. An ABS system was optional in the early models but came as standard equipment later in the car’s production run. Airbags were available in the last couple of years of the E23’s production and full leather interior, different types of woodtrim, powered seats, mirrors and windows and heated seats made the cabin as comfortable as it was safe.

BMW Serie 7 e23

Over the decade it was in production 285,029 examples were built of BMW’s luxury saloon. Engines ranged from 148bhp in the earliest 725i to 249bhp in the 745i. This was the car that paved the way for a lot of the firm’s success so it’s worth a second look if you come across one on the road.

from Eurocarblog

cool stuff : STEAKSTONES

If you're looking for a new way to prepare a meal and impress dinner guests, check outSteakStones ($136). After heating the lava stone in the oven, it stays hot for 20-30 minutes — plenty of time to sear and cook a steak, seafood, or lamb however you like it. It rests neatly in its cradle, warming any food below, and providing a serving station for your meal. Get several steak stones and allow your guests to prepare their own meat, or get the sharing platter and cook for two.