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    mercredi 8 avril 2015

    WRC : La Skoda Fabia R5 homologuée / The Skoda Fabia R5 homologated

    La nouvelle Skoda Fabia R5 a été homologuée par la Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) après 15 mois de développement et quelque 10 000 km d’essais. Elle va succéder à la brillante Skoda Fabia S2000.

    Dès sa première sortie officielle, au Rallye Monte-Carlo 2009, la Skoda Fabia S2000 avait montré tout son potentiel aux mains de Juho Hanninen (leader de l’ES2 à l’ES8) et Jan Kopecky (4e).
    En six ans, elle a remporté 15 victoires de catégorie en Mondial (1 temps scratch absolu avec Ogier en Sardaigne), 27 victoires et 3 titres en Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), 24 succès et 3 titres en Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes (ERC) et 12 succès et 3 titres en Championnat Asie-Pacifique. Skoda parle aussi d’une cinquantaine de titres nationaux… La plupart de ces succès ont été remportés avec Michelin.
    Skoda Motorsport est concentré depuis plus d’un an sur le développement de la nouvelle Skoda Fabia R5. Plus de 10 000 km d’essais ont été parcourus avec les pilotes de la marque, Esapekka Lappi, Jan Kopecky, Raimund Baumschlager ou encore Freddy Loix, et sur tous types de terrain.
    La Fabia R5 vient de recevoir le feu vert des inspecteurs de la FIA et devrait donc débuter officiellement très prochainement. On parle du Rallye du Portugal, Skoda Motorsport ayant réservé deux places en championnat WRC-2…
    La nouvelle Skoda Fabia est la 4e voiture à répondre au règlement R5 (moteur 1.6-Litre, 4x4…) après la Ford Fiesta R5, homologuée à l’été 2013 et écoulée à plus de 100 exemplaires, la Peugeot 208 T16 et la Citroën DS3 R5, apparues en course au printemps 2014.
    Le staff technique de Skoda Motorsport a donc eu le temps de travailler sur la fiabilité et la performance, de peaufiner les détails avant de présenter le dossier d’homologation. Le carnet de commandes serait déjà bien rempli…
    La Skoda Fabia R5 est homologuée
    Skoda Fabia R5
    The new Skoda Fabia R5, successor to the successful Fabia S2000, has been homologated by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) after 15 months of development work and around 10,000km covered in testing.
    The Skoda Fabia S2000 gave an eloquent illustration of its potential on its debut, the 2009 Rallye Monte-Carlo, in the hands of Juho Hanninen (who led from SS2 to SS8) and Jan Kopecky (4th).
    In the space of six years, it has claimed 15 WRC class wins, one fastest stage time (Ogier in Sardinia), 27 event victories and three titles in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), 24 victories and three European Rally Championship crowns and 12 wins and three titles in the Asia-Pacific Championship. Skoda also quotes around 50 titles at national level. Most of these successes were achieved on Michelin tyres.
    For more than a year, Skoda Motorsport has been focused on the development of the new Skoda Fabia R5 which has covered more than 10,000km in testing with drivers like Esapekka Lappi, Jan Kopecky, Raimund Baumschlager and Freddy Loix.
    The Fabia R5 has now received the green light from the FIA’s homologations department and its debut is expected very soon, possibly at the Rally de Portugal where Skoda Motorsport has book two WRC2 slots.
    The new Fabia is the fourth R5 car (1.6-litre engine, 4x4) after the Ford Fiesta R5 (homologated in the summer of 2013, 100 cars sold), the Peugeot 208 T16 and the Citroën DS3 R5 which made their debuts last spring.
    Skoda Motorsport’ technical staff has had the time to work on the newcomer’s performance and reliability and to carry out detail fine-tuning. The order book is said to be quite full already.

    'Calipso’ is one heck of a Honda Dominator


    What happens if you unleash a group of Italian custom bike builders on an unsophisticated Honda NX650 Dominator? Now you can own ‘Calipso’, built by South Garage Motorcycles from Milan…

    Custom trailblazer

    One of the very first projects to emerge from the Milan-based custom shop in 2013, ‘Calipso’ started life as a dual-sport 1999 Honda Dominator – a model well known for its purposeful, rugged nature. Examining the photographs more closely, we can see that this single-cylinder machine features a flat track-style seat, tail and alloy fuel tank, upgraded USD front forks with twin disc brakes and an entirely reworked set of controls and electronics. Taking into account the custom exhaust and leather-trimmed saddle, this must surely be the most highly detailed NX650 in existence. Currentlyfor sale in the Classic Driver Market, the listing states that the machine is ‘completely restored' and 'like new’.
    View the full range of customs and classics in the Classic Driver Market.

    Motorcycle Adventure - Bush to Beach

    A cracking 900 kilometre motorcycle adventure on the mid north coast of New South Wales, Australia organised by rideadv.com.au


    This ex-Works Aston Martin Ulster is set to break a World Record


    At its Goodwood Festival of Speed auction in June, Bonhams hopes to sell a very special Aston Martin Ulster: one of the last of the famed ‘Team Cars’...
    The 1935 Ulster in question is best known as LM19, one of a series of cars that was continually developed from 1928 onwards, with Le Mans glory in mind. According to Aston Martin’s then-chief designer and co-owner, Augustus ‘Bert’ Bertelli, the final clutch of cars – of which LM19 is one – were among “the best cars I ever built”. Today, LM19 is widely accepted to be one of the very best pre-War sports cars.

    From France, to Ireland, to Italy

    Indeed, the LM19 Team Car was entered in the prestigious Le Mans race in 1935, which was followed soon afterwards by the RAC Tourist Trophy race in Ireland. The year after that, it was robbed of a likely class victory at the Mille Miglia due to a burnt-out valve.

    If the going’s good at Goodwood...

    Owing to the car’s exceptional provenance – which also includes an outing at the 1936 French Grand Prix – the car is eligible for a host of top-tier historic racing events. What’s more, should it sell within its £1.6m – £2.2m estimate or higher, it will also become a World Record holder as the most expensive pre-War Aston to be sold at auction.
    Photos: Bonhams
    The 1935 ex-Works Aston Martin Ulster ‘LM19’ will be sold at Bonhams’ Goodwood Festival of Speed sale on 26 June, 2015.