The ground-breaking Caterham Academy championship celebrates its 20th anniversary on 1st October 2015.
The very first Academy event took place, under the banner of the Caterham Scholarship, at Mallory Park in 1995 and Caterham has located rare footage of the event to celebrate the landmark birthday.
samedi 3 octobre 2015
MODERN MUSCLE: VICTORY GUNNER BY TATTOO PROJECTS
At just eighteen years old, Victory Motorcycles is one of the youngest marques on the planet. And their current cruiser range has a distinctly modern aesthetic—a hard sell for potential owners looking for the American heritage vibe.
“But it’s something that we at Tattoo have gotten Victory to embrace. It’s modern American muscle.”
Rudy Banny is the founder of Tattoo Projects, the ad agency that handles Victory’s marketing. “One of the issues we deal with on a regular basis, is Victory’s youth,” he says. “It seems a lot of consumers out there find Victory’s futuristic, modern design quite polarizing.”
“But it’s something that we at Tattoo have gotten Victory to embrace. It’s modern American muscle.”
When Tattoo aren’t working on campaigns for some of the US’s top brands, they build custom motorcycles. And when Rudy managed to get a Victory Gunner onto his bench, he couldn’t resist the urge to roughen it up.
“I took it upon myself to take all of that awesome, bad-ass modern American muscle, and package it up in an old-school bobber-café.”
Custom aluminum gussets were made to support the seat, and to box in the simplified ECU and fuse box setup. The battery was swapped for a smaller Ballistic unit, but this (and a few electrical components) needed a new home. So local leather specialists Colsen Keane were roped in to make up a one-off battery pouch.
The biggest visual hit is the new tail section. Tattoo wanted to fit one of their favorite brat-café-style seats: a Nitroheads. This meant that they could trim off most of the subframe—opening up the rear end and giving the stock swingarm a stretched look.
Custom aluminum gussets were made to support the seat, and to box in the simplified ECU and fuse box setup. The battery was swapped for a smaller Ballistic unit, but this (and a few electrical components) needed a new home. So local leather specialists Colsen Keane were roped in to make up a one-off battery pouch.
To complement the new back-end, Suzuki GSX-R forks and custom-made triple trees were fitted up front. A 3.5×16 rim was laced up with stainless steel spokes, and upgraded with a dual braking disc setup. And yes, the tires are Firestone’s infamous Deluxe Champions. (“We haven’t given up on them yet,” Rudy smiles.)
The cockpit’s been finished with a mix of parts. Arlen Ness teardrop mirrors hint at the bike’s origins, while dual headlights give it a touch of streetfighter style. The handlebars are Biltwell Tracker units, and the speedo is Motogadget’s tiny MotoScope Mini LED model.
The team modeled a smaller, simpler tank, and had Brendon Thompson from Elite Metal Designs ‘Frankenstein’ the stock tunnel onto the new tank. A Monza filler cap was installed, but other than that the tank’s been left unfinished. Rudy’s still deciding whether or not he wants to paint it.
The last stop was the engine—but with the Victory already pushing out a respectable 97 horses, and weighing 100lbs less now, the mods were minimal. There’s a Lloydz Torque Tube intake to help it breathe, adjustable timing gear and a new fuel control unit. Custom exhaust headers capped with stainless steel Cone Engineering mufflers round things out.
Rudy says he “deliberately took a very modern American motorcycle and distressed the hell out of it.” Tattoo’s stark Victory Gunner is certainly a departure from the factory version, and a muscle bike we wouldn’t mind owning.
The cockpit’s been finished with a mix of parts. Arlen Ness teardrop mirrors hint at the bike’s origins, while dual headlights give it a touch of streetfighter style. The handlebars are Biltwell Tracker units, and the speedo is Motogadget’s tiny MotoScope Mini LED model.
Tattoo’s biggest challenge was switching out the Victory Gunner’s wide, teardrop-shaped fuel tank. “A big reason these tanks are difficult to modify,” explains Rudy, “is that the tunnel is very unique, due to the split, wishbone-style backbone of the frame.”
The team modeled a smaller, simpler tank, and had Brendon Thompson from Elite Metal Designs ‘Frankenstein’ the stock tunnel onto the new tank. A Monza filler cap was installed, but other than that the tank’s been left unfinished. Rudy’s still deciding whether or not he wants to paint it.
The last stop was the engine—but with the Victory already pushing out a respectable 97 horses, and weighing 100lbs less now, the mods were minimal. There’s a Lloydz Torque Tube intake to help it breathe, adjustable timing gear and a new fuel control unit. Custom exhaust headers capped with stainless steel Cone Engineering mufflers round things out.
Rudy says he “deliberately took a very modern American motorcycle and distressed the hell out of it.” Tattoo’s stark Victory Gunner is certainly a departure from the factory version, and a muscle bike we wouldn’t mind owning.
via BIKEexif
These driving shoes will take you from the backroads to the boardroom
British lifestyle brand Oliver Sweeney has joined forces with Jaguar to create a new collection of formal driving shoes, designed to allow precise control inputs while retaining a meeting-ready appearance…
Taking the long route to the meeting...
The new shoes – the first styles of which are named ‘Whitley’ and ‘Sayer’ – were initially designed using clay, much like the cars crafted by Ian Callum’s design team. Among the driver-tailored features are a chamfered heel profile to create a pivot point for better pedal control, and a waist-less finish to prevent the edges inadvertently catching the wrong pedal. Furthermore, there are subtle flourishes that echo current Jaguars, including a nod to the controversial D-pillar design of the existing XJ. The new collection is available from 1 October, priced at £325 in the UK.
Photos: Jaguar
You can find hundreds of modern and classic Jaguars for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
WRC Rallye de France - Tour de Corse 2015 ; Les multiples Tour de Corse – a multisport tradition
La manche française du Championnat du monde des Rallyes FIA n’est qu’un des nombreux évènements portant l’appelation Tour de corse. Des épreuves sur quatre et deux roues, ainsi qu’à la voile, font aussi le tour de l’Ile de Beauté.
Le climat, le décor, les plages de la Corse en font une destination prisée des touristes et des sportifs.
Ses petites routes montagneuses sont idéales pour la pratique du sport automobile et la première édition du Tour de Corse remonte à 1956. Il s’appelait alors Rallye des 10 000 Virages.
Pour célébrer le retour du Tour de Corse en WRC, les organisateurs ont créé le Tour de Corse 10 000 Virages, une épreuve qui se déroulera en parallèle au rallye mondial et qui réunit des Supercars, des GT modernes, des voitures de sport et de prestige ou encore des véhicules hybrides et électriques.
Cette épreuve s’élance de Toulon mercredi et se terminera dimanche après un parcours Toulon-Bastia-Ajaccio-Port Vecchio-Ajaccio. Les concurrents partageront une spéciale par jour avec ceux du WRC.
Juste après l’arrivée du Tour de Corse WRC, le Tour de Corse Historique s’élancera de Porto Vecchio. Cette épreuve devenue très populaire (275 engagés) est organisée par l’ancien Champion d’Europe et pilote officiel Lancia Martini, Yves Loubet. Le pilote corse a signé quatre podiums mondiaux et de nombreuses victoires de catégorie.
Le Tour de Corse Historique s’étale sur cinq jours, 1071 km dont 358 de spéciales. Il empruntera des tracés légendaires. Il y a deux compétitions en une : un rallye chronométré (170 voitures) et un rallye de régularité (105).
Autre épreuve portant l’appellation de Tour de Corse, le Tour de Corse Cycliste dont la première édition remonte à 1920. Parmi les anciens vainqueurs, on retrouve Bernard Hinault ou encore Stephen Roche. Le Tour de Corse Cycliste est aujourd’hui réservé aux amateurs. En 2014, ils étaient 120 au départ.
Autre Tour, le Tour de France à la Voile. Cette épreuve annuelle (15-18 octobre) démarre et se conclut à Bonifacio, au sud de l’île. Le parcours total compte 250 miles nautiques (430 km). Un nouveau record du tour de l’île a été établi en 2014 par Lionel Péan sur VOR 70 SFS en 25h57min. Cette année, une soixantaine de voiliers (500 membres d’équipage) est attendue au départ.
Le rêve du Yacht Club de Bonifacio est de pouvoir un jour organiser une course-relais de deux cyclistes autour de l’île (environ 600) en même temps que l’épreuve à la voile !
France’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship is just one of several sporting events that use the name ‘Tour de Corse’. There are others on four and two wheels, as well as a round-the-island yacht race!
The climate, scenery and beaches of Corsica make it the perfect destination for tourists, but the Mediterranean island is a magnet for sporting events, too.
Its network of twisty mountain roads make it ideal for motorsport and the first edition of the famous rally was organised in 1956, initially known as the Rallye des 10 000 Virages (10,000 Corners).
To celebrate the Tour de Corse’s return to the world championship fold this week, an event reviving that original name – Tour de Corse 10 000 Virages – is being run in parallel. It stars supercars, modern GTs, sports cars and prestige cars, plus a class for hybrid and electric vehicles.
It started on the French mainland (Toulon) on Wednesday and will continue until Sunday via a specific itinerary (Toulon-Bastia-Ajaccio-Porto Vecchio-Ajaccio), although participants will share one stage per day with their WRC counterparts.
Immediately after the WRC rally finishes, the 2015 Tour de Corse Historique is due to start in Porto Vecchio.
This immensely popular event (275 entries!) is organised by former European Rally Champion Yves Loubet, Corsica’s most successful driver who appeared in Lancia Martini colours between 1987 and 1991. He scored four world class podium finishes and several class wins.
The five-day rally’s 1,071km route features 358km divided into 17 stages, including many of the island’s long-time classics.
There are actually two competitions in one: one which permits flat out driving on closed roads (170 cars), plus a regularity rally (105) with entries divided into three subclasses (high, medium and low average speeds).
Another event to benefit from Corsica’s exceptional roads is the Tour de Corse Cycliste which was first organised in 1920. Former winners include Ireland’s former world champion Stephen Roche and five-time Tour de France victor Bernard Hinault.
Now reserved for amateur riders, the last edition was held in 2014, with 120 participants.
The other big ‘tour’ on the island’s sporting calendar is the Tour de Corse à la Voile. This annual four-day yacht race (October 15-18) starts and finishes in Bonifacio at the island’s southern tip. Its total distance is 250 nautical miles, which equates to 430 kilometres.
A new record for the island’s circumnavigation was established in 2014 by Lionel Péan’s VOR 70 SFS (25 hours 57 minutes). Whether one of this year’s 60 or so craft (around 500 crew members) can better that this year will obviously depend on the wind!
A dream of the organising Yacht Club de Bonifacio is to one day run a cycle relay race (two riders per bike) around the island’s coastal roads (approximately 600km) at the same time as the yacht race, thereby combining two Tours of Corsica in one!
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