ARD

ARD from Eric H2ocean Walfard on Vimeo.

MATT BLACK CUSTOM YARD BUILT XV950

Yamaha heads down through southern Europe to a workshop just outside Malaga in Spain for the latest Yard Built creation. Tucked away in the sun soaked streets of San Pedro, Matt Black Custom Designs have been busy building their first ever Yard Built project. The result is a true showstopper, paying tribute to the board track racers of 100 years ago. An impressive mix of custom, one-­‐off and bolt on parts are beautifully crafted together to become the Yard Built XV950 ‘Playa del Rey’.

The build required all the skills and creativity of the Matt Black team; Anthony Partridge  worked  his  magic  with  metal,  making  the  beautiful  tank  by  hand  as  well as several other trick parts; master technician Kurt Lohse used his electrical genius  to  ensure  ‘Playa  del  Rey’s’  stunning  switch  gear  is  function  as  well  as  form; project manager Dom Kelly used his 3D design skills to bring the concept alive on screen before a single part was made as well as machining several of the parts for the build.

No Yard Built is complete without a memorable paint job and the  Matt  Black  build  is  no  exception.  Paint  wizard  Ray  Hill  added  the  finishing  touch  with  a  beautiful  colour  scheme  and  intricate  pin  striping  as  well  as contributing to the bodywork and finalising of the build.

“Inspired by the custom bobber scene, the Yamaha XV950 is a really fun bike to ride with its punchy v-­‐twin motor. The design is timeless, paying tribute to the cool custom machines of the bobber scene but complemented with modern components for reliability and class leading performance. This combination of new and old mixed together is something we saw in the work of Matt Black’s previous builds,” commented Yamaha Motor Europe Product Manager, Shun Miyazawa. “As a result we knew they were the right people to take on the latest XV950 Yard Built project and the result is amazing. They’ve kept all the fun of the standard bike, but shown you can use it as a base to easily build something iconic with a perfect blend of vintage and modern without compromising the ride.”

Matt Black Custom Design were determined that no matter how crazy the build, they still wanted XV950 owners to be able to have a taste of ‘Playa del Ray’ for themselves. As a result an impressive list of custom machined billet Matt Black Custom Designs bolt on parts were created. These include the stunning front and rear 21inch rims (also available in original size), the rear pulley with cush drive system, the plexi-­‐glass see through cam gear cover, left side crankcase cover and right side generator cover. The small right side cover and front pulley cover were also machined and an air filter adapter plate was created to go with a cool Crime Scene Choppers air filter cover.

Of  course  as  a  one-­‐off  Yard  Built  project  there  are  also  some  unique,  bespoke  parts created by Matt Black Custom just for the build. These include the beautiful handmade  fuel  tank,  both  the  electrical  and  battery  side  panels  and  the  rear fender, all built in-­‐house. The standard Yamaha XV950 headers flow into a one-­‐off custom collector before making noise at the end with a modified MIVV Ghibli Silencer.

A custom battery box is hidden internally and the XV handlebars were modified to deliver  a genuine board tracker look. The Matt Black custom work  continues  with  stunning  custom  foot  peg  adapters,  a  front  bash  guard  and  a modified wiring loom.

Continuing  the  theme  of  Yard  Built  concepts  that  can  be  created  at  home,  the  ‘Playa  del  Rey’  build  is  completed  with  a  selection  of  the  finest  custom aftermarket  parts.  The  show  stopping  springer  front  fork  comes  courtesy  of  Rebufini  with  some  minor  modification  by  Matt  Black  Custom  whilst  the rear gets a set of Ohlins shocks to settle the ride.

The fuel cap was custom made by the  legendary  Crafty  B  in  the  USA  and  the  rocker  cover  was  hand  engraved  locally by Tony the Engraver! A Vitys headlight and grips add attitude at the front and mini hand controls and switch housings by Rebuffini set it off.

Rizoma make an appearance with Bullet indicators and foot pegs and a Motogadget speedo and housing  take  centre  stage.  Stopping  power  gets  an  upgrade  up  front  with  PM  calipers and a set of risers by LA Choppers adds to the west coast vibe.

Matt Black Customs have made it easy for XV950 owners who want to add some of the Board Tracker style to their rides by providing a selection of bolt­‐on parts available directly from their website. The Spanish custom team plan to go further and develop an even wider range so the options look set to grow and grow!

If you want to trick out your XV and see what they have available click the link and visit them directly www.mattblack.eu

Thanks to Gavin Matheson for the words and Yamaha Press for the photographs.

via The Bike Shed

Le Mans ; Tradition, Technology and A Return: the colours of the Porsche 919 Hybrid

The official Pre-test will see the world debut of the 2015 Porsche Le Mans race cars in their individual colours: The three Porsche 919 Hybrids will appear for the first time in their base colours of red, black and white.

Tradition – The red prototype with starting number 17 will be driven by Timo Bernhard (34, Germany), Brendon Hartley (25, New Zealand), and Mark Webber (38, Australia). Its car number and colour are a tribute to the Porsche that in 1970 took the first of what are now a total of 16 overall victories for the brand in Le Mans. No other brand has claimed so many victories in what is believed to be the world’s most demanding endurance race. The base colour of the Porsche 917 KH (“short-tail”) in “Salzburg Design” that won the race 45 years ago on June 14, 1970 was also red. The winning drivers then were Hans Herrmann from Germany, who is now 87, and Richard Attwood from the UK, who is 75 today.

Technology – The black LMP1 with starting number 18 is a symbol of the close technical relationship between the Porsche 919 Hybrid racing car and the Porsche 918 Spyder super sports car, which is also equipped with a hybrid drive. It was also a black 918 that on September 4, 2013 set a new record for a street-legal production sports car by completing a lap of more than 20 kilometres on the North Loop of the Nürburgring in six minutes and 57 seconds. The record-breaking driver there was Marc Lieb, 34, from Germany. Lieb will also drive the black 919 in Le Mans this year – together with Romain Dumas (37, France) and Neel Jani (31, Switzerland).

A Return – The team’s third car – the white 919 Hybrid with starting number 19 – will be competing in Le Mans in the colour Porsche chose for its return to top-notch racing after a 16-year absence. White, which is a traditional colour for racing cars from Germany, will also be used with the two Porsche 911 RSR factory cars that will race in the GTE Pro Class. In Le Mans the third 919 will be driven by Earl Bamber (24, New Zealand), Formula One driver Nico Hülkenberg (27, Germany), and Nick Tandy (30, Great Britain).

Despite their individual colours, the liveries of the three Porsche 919 Hybrids and the two Porsche 911 RSRs share the same philosophy. All the chassis are covered in the words “Porsche Intelligent Performance”. Those three words summarise the brand’s core ambition for maximised sportiness and highest efficiency.

Style icons and a provocative livery in Le Mans

The livery of a race car is a science in itself. It should highlight design and proportions, cover design secrets and it must look good when the car runs at high speeds. In the old days cars were painted, nowadays they are covered in ultra-thin material. Often the colours and looks are influenced by sponsors and partners like the never forgotten Porsche Le Mans race cars in the colours of Gulf, Martini, Mobil1, Rothmans or Shell. Also still famous are the extravagant creations by Anatole Lapine. The Latvian Porsche chief designer was responsible for the 1970 psychedelic purple-green Porsche 917 long tail, which was quickly given the nickname “Hippie”. One year later Lapine let a ‘pig’ run. The pink 917 is known as the “Sau” which translates into sow, which, of course, is a female pig. It is said it is the most photographed Le Mans race car ever. Lapine even put a schematic drawing on it with red lines separating and naming the various parts of the body – just like those displays you’ll find in a butcher’s shop. Internally this was provocative, externally it was a sensation. Without this livery the 917 would have been long forgotten after its retirement in the race. Instead it is still the favourite car of the children visiting the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen.

Twenty years earlier the first race car entered by Porsche in Le Mans had no such issues. The class winning 356 SL 1100 from 1951 had a bare aluminium body. It was a pioneer in terms of light-weight construction and aerodynamic efficiency.

Une édition record pour Spa-Classic 2015

Le légendaire circuit de Spa-Francorchamps a vibré tout le week-end au son des glorieuses voitures anciennes. Sur la piste comme au-dehors, la 5ème édition de Spa-Classic a tenu ses promesses au point d’établir de nouveaux records de fréquentation : 20 000 spectateurs et 1 500 voitures historiques (clubs et compétitions) ont été réunis.

Une fois n’est pas coutume, trois jours durant, la redoutable cuvette de Spa a été baignée… de soleil ! Concurrents, collectionneurs, exposants et spectateurs ont ainsi profité pleinement des multiples attractions proposées dans l’enceinte du circuit, à commencer par les courses.

COURSES

Le spectacle en piste a été assuré par sept plateaux cumulant plus de 250 voitures. Particulièrement attendues, les berlines et les coupés de l’Heritage Touring Cup ont commémoré les grandes heures des 24 Heures de Spa, rappelant qu’à une époque pas si lointaine la classique d’endurance belge était réservée aux voitures issues de la grande série. Comme c’est le cas lors du double tour d’horloge, les pilotes des BMW 3.0 CSL, Rover Vitesse et autres Ford Capri ont pu s’affronter de jour comme de nuit, l’une des deux manches se disputant samedi soir tard… Ambiance magique ! D’endurance, il en était aussi question avec les CER 1 et CER 2, le Sixties’ Endurance et le Trofeo Nastro Rosso, quatre plateaux by Peter Auto qui ont rassemblé bon nombre de prototypes et de Grand Tourisme ayant disputé naguère les 1 000 kilomètres de Spa : Ford GT 40, Jaguar Type E, Shelby Cobra, Ferrari 250 GT… Endurance, toujours, avec les deux plateaux invités par Peter Auto. Le U2TC a réuni des voitures de moins de deux litres construites avant 1966 semblables à celles qui participaient aux premières éditions « Tourisme » des 24 Heures de Spa. Enfin, le Group C Racing a quant à lui proposé des prototypes plus modernes dont un remarquable châssis Jaguar XJR-14 de 1991 aux performances comparables à celles des LMP actuels.

CLUBS ET ANIMATIONS

Si les essais et les courses se sont succédés sans répit, les spectateurs ont pu délaisser la piste l’espace de quelques minutes – voire quelques heures ! – pour admirer plus d’un millier de voitures de collection exposées. A l’image du TVR Car Club, qui avait choisi Spa-Classic pour célébrer son 50ème anniversaire, de nombreux propriétaires de voitures anciennes sont venus représenter des marques aussi diverses que BMW, Corvette, Datsun, Ferrari, Lotus, Mazda, Porsche, Triumph et même Viper dont 35 modèles venus de toute l’Europe ont été concentrés ! Dimanche midi, ce beau panel de l’histoire de l’automobile a été rejoint par les 180 équipages du Youngtimers Rally venus terminer leur périple en s’offrant une parade sur le toboggan des Ardennes. Dans le Village, les spectateurs ont à leur tour fait le plein d’émotions avec le Mur de la Mort (spectacle de motos) ou encore les simulateurs de pilotage. Les autres animations (slot Racing, concerts, cours de danse, coiffeur vintage, etc.) et les exposants (miniatures, prêt-à-porter, libraires, etc.) ont quant à eux comblé un large public.

VENTE AUX ENCHERES BONHAMS

Pour la troisième année consécutive, la vente aux enchères Bonhams a suscité ce dimanche un bel engouement. Parmi les lots les plus attendus, citons notamment :

- Porsche 962C chassis 962-155 de 1990 (1 495 000 €)
- Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta de 1970 (667 000 €)
- Ferrari 308GT Berlinetta Vetroresina 1976 (253 000 €)
- Aston Martin DB Mark III Sports Saloon de 1958 (247 250 €)
- Lancia Flaminia Super Sport Double Bulle de 1965 carrossée par Zagato (218 500 €)
- Karting Birel Ex-Mika Häkkinen (9 200 €)

Le chiffre d’affaires de cette vente dépasse 5 millions d’euros, montant dont Philip Kantor (Directeur International Business Développement de Bonhams Europe) s’est félicité. Fort du succès de cette édition,

Patrick Peter donne d’ores et déjà rendez-vous au printemps 2016 pour le 6ème Spa-Classic. En attendant, les concurrents des plateaux by Peter Auto se retrouveront dans deux semaines à l’occasion du Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or tenu sur le circuit de Dijon-Prenois.