Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Nine-second Zephyr



George Babikan's Ford Zephyr has a full feature in this month's Classic Ford and, as you can see from the pictures, it's a bit of a monster.
Built in a parking space outside a central London block of flats, the Zeph can run a 9.85-second quarter-mile courtesy of its 408 cu.in small-block Chevy V8; with nitrous, it produces 620bhp. Which is frankly insane, given that it's wearing a tax disc and a set of number plates...











Tuesday, October 26, 2010

VW X5



The classic wheels/stance formula has been applied to the VW Golf in any cross-pollinated iteration you can think of. The mkI and mkII often end up with polished Porsche 944 wheels. Last week we looked at a mkV on Bentley rims. And here we have a mkIV on 19" BMW X5 wheels. This must have been a logistical nightmare - kudos to the builder for making it work!
More here.







Kanye's Tatra



Unfortunately for mankind in general, Kanye West continues to be allowed to annoy us with a relentless stream of pretentious rubbish. You may be aware that he recently debuted a short film on MTV entitled 'Runaway'. If you're so inclined, you can view it here - although there's no reason that you should, it's vapid and tremendously irritating.

So why bring it up? Well, the car he drives in the film has caused much discussion. The badge on the rear reads 'Tatra V8i'. Hang on... Tatra? The old Czech company that used to make rear-engined saloons with air-cooled V8s back in the sixties? Yes indeed, the very same. Kind of.
MTX has long been a builder of obscure performance cars in the Czech Republic (since 1969, in fact), and the car we see before us here is an MTX Tatra V8. So, a collaboration between a now-defunct manufacturer and one that's so small, nobody's heard of it - Kanye's car must be pretty rare, right?
Correct. They only ever built four of them.

If your language skills are up to it, you can learn more about MTX (and see some really weird photos) here.



2010 Korean GP

If you're anything like me, you'll have eagerly set your alarm for the start of the Korean Grand Prix on Sunday. You'll have watched in dismay as the rain fell, the start was delayed, the drivers followed the safety car for a few laps and proceedings were halted. You'll have sat there for an hour, drinking endless cups of tea and praying for a race of some sort to eventually happen. And your edgy patience would have been rewarded, with an action-heavy fight taking place on the (questionable) new Korean circuit.
If you missed it, of course, none of this will mean anything to you. You can catch up on all the highlights here... but this photo really sums it all up:

Monday, October 25, 2010

Old classic cars pictures

cars
Old classic cars pictures 1 - Cuba cars

Old classic cars pictures 2 - Cuba cars 2

Old classic cars pictures 3 - Blue Volvo




cars
Old  classic cars pictures 4
cars
Old classic cars pictures 5 - 1968 Mercury Cyclone 428 Cobra Jet
Old classic cars pictures 6 - Mercedes Benz
cars
Old classic cars pictures 7
cars
Old classic cars pictures 8
Old classic cars pictures 9
cars
Old classic cars pictures 10
cars
Old classic cars pictures 11
cars
Old classic cars pictures 12 - WW Beatle

Prodrive 555 Impreza - 1997



You may have spotted SuckSqueezeBangBlow's recent look at Colin McRae's '93 555 Impreza.
Well, if you're hungry for more, click here for Octane's story on the restoration of another special 555 Impreza: McRae's 1997 car. Fully restored by Prodrive (who, of course, built it in the first place), the attention to detail and cost-no-object attitude equate to a lovely little story and a devastatingly effective rally car, sympathetically restored to be used as intended.









Formula 1 - 1947-1967

...from the days when men were men, cars were cars and motor racing was really bloody scary.

There's some truly superb footage here - turn your volume up and watch on fullscreen.

Stig Hennessey

The new Chevrolet Camaro was officially launched in Colombia last week. How do they celebrate this? By letting Ben Collins (aka The Stig) loose in a Hennessey HPE650 around the Autódromo de Tocancipá. Well, why not?







History of VolksWagen

When in 1937 the company known as "Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH" was founded, no one could have guessed that it would one day be Europe's largest carmaker. The history of the company - with all its trials and tribulations - is first and foremost a story of impressive success.

1937-1945
On May 28th, 1937 the "Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH" company is founded, and on September 16th, 1938 it is renamed "Volkswagenwerk GmbH". In early 1938, in what is today Wolfsburg, work begins on construction of the Volkswagenwerk plant which is to house production of the new vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche.
During the Second World War Volkswagenwerk's production is switched to armaments. Some 20,000 forced labourers, prisoners of war, and later also concentration camp prisoners, work at the plant.
In September 1998, in recognition of the events of that time, VOLKSWAGEN AG established a humanitarian fund on behalf of the forced labourers compelled to work at Volkswagen during the Second World War. By the end of 2001 more than 2,050 people in 26 countries had received humanitarian aid from the fund. Furthermore, a Memorial in remembrance of the forced labour employed at the Volkswagenwerk plant is currently being established at Wolfsburg, involving contributions from present-day Volkswagen apprentices.

1945-1949
After the end of the Second World War, in mid June 1945, responsibility for Volkswagenwerk is placed in the hands of the British Military Government. Under the management of Major Ivan Hirst, mass production of the Volkswagen Beetle is started.
   
1949-1960
On March 8th, 1950 the Type 2 goes into production, expanding the company's product range. The Volkswagen Bus, still today known to many as the "VW Bully", soon creates rising demand thanks to its multifunctional capabilities. In 1956 a separate manufacturing base for the Transporter is established in Hanover, at the same time setting down the roots of today's Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand.
In 1955 employees and dealers from Germany and abroad celebrate the production of the one millionth Volkswagen Beetle in Wolfsburg.

1960-1980
On February 17th, 1972 Volkswagen breaks the world car production record: with 15,007,034 units assembled, the Beetle surpasses the legendary mark achieved by the Ford Motor Company's Model T, popularly known as the "Tin Lizzy", between 1908 and 1927.
In 1973 the Passat is the first model of the new generation of Volkswagen vehicles to go into production - with front-wheel drive, a water-cooled four-cylinder engine and a range of engines up to 110 bhp. The Passat is built in line with the modular strategy, by which standardised components usable in a range of different models provide significant rationalisation.
In January 1974 the first Golf is built at the Wolfsburg plant. The compact saloon quickly becomes a hit, and advances to become the legitimate heir to the legendary Beetle. The same year also sees the launch of the sporty Scirocco, which was to continue in production until 1981. In 1976 the first Golf GTI rolls off the production line. The car, with its110 bhp engine, creates a real furore on the roads - and lays the foundations for the birth of a legend.
In January 1974 the first Golf is built at the Wolfsburg plant. The compact saloon quickly becomes a hit, and advances to become the legitimate heir to the legendary Beetle. The same year also sees the launch of the sporty Scirocco, which was to continue in production until 1981.
In 1976 the first Golf GTI rolls off the production line. The car, with its110 bhp engine, creates a real furore on the roads - and lays the foundations for the birth of a legend.   

1980-1990
In June 1983 production of the second-generation Golf begins. The car is designed for a largely automated assembly process, and in the specially erected final assembly hall, designated Hall 54, robots are deployed for the first time in vehicle manufacture.   

1990-2000
With the production launch of the Lupo 3L TDI, the first production car to offer fuel consumption of just three litres per 100 kilometres, in July 1999, Volkswagen once again makes automotive history.
   
2000-2003
In August 2002, at Volkswagen Slovakia, a.s. in Bratislava, mass production of the Touareg, a luxury-class off-road vehicle, is started, marking the Volkswagen brand's move into an entirely new market segment.
In December 2002 the "Auto 5000 GmbH" company, operating a plant at the Group's site in Wolfsburg, starts production of the Touran compact van. A special collective pay model has been developed, aimed at implementing lean production and involving flat hierarchies, team working, flexible working hours and the deployment of more process expertise by the workforce.
In December 2002 the "Auto 5000 GmbH" company, operating a plant at the Group's site in Wolfsburg, starts production of the Touran compact van. A special collective pay model has been developed, aimed at implementing lean production and involving flat hierarchies, team working, flexible working hours and the deployment of more process expertise by the workforce.
In 2003 production of the fifth-generation Golf is started, embodying a new dynamism in its design and engineering.
In 2003 production of the fifth-generation Golf is started, embodying a new dynamism in its design and engineering.
http://www.volkswagen.com/vwcms/master_public/virtualmaster/en2/unternehmen/geschichte.html

Thursday, October 21, 2010

White Lake Formula 1 Ring



Click here for the most utterly incredible Scalextric set-up you've ever seen. The attention to detail is phenomenal - and yes, he does run proper timed races with period-correct formulae. Well, after all that effort it's only right to use it properly.









Paddock Hacks



There's not a lot to do in New Zealand. Sheep farming. Recreating scenes from Lord of the Rings. Learning the songs from Flight of the Conchords. That's about it.

Oh, and Paddock Hacks. That is, taking a knackered old car, beefing it up a bit and going banger racing around a bumpy field. It's way more dramatic and exciting than it sounds.



Ferrari 458 Challenge



The Ferrari 458 Italia is, as we know, a precious thing - ferocious yet beautiful, devastating yet delicate. The 458 Challenge - the fire-snorting race version - takes the evocative formula a step further. The sonorous exhaust! The shouty engine! The glowing brake discs! This is a special moment for petrolheads everywhere.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Bonneville 288 GTO



This GTO is simultaneously awesome and upsetting. Awesome because it's just set a new record for being the world's fastest Ferrari at Bonneville, clocking up a frankly absurd 275.4mph. Upsetting because they didn't need to use a GTO...

The record-breaking car is powered by an 8.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8, producing between 2000-2500bhp. So, if they're going to modify the car so heavily, why start with an ultra-rare homologation special as a base? They could have used a far more common 308GTB or something instead, surely? I just think it's a waste. Astonishing, yes. Incredible, even. But a terrible waste nonetheless.

Bentley Golf



Proof positive that if you're sufficiently extreme in your wheel choice and stance, you don't need to do a lot else. He we find a mkV Golf sitting very, very low over 19" Bentley wheels.
Plenty more pics here.



McRae vs. the people

I can't imagine how scary this must be for a driver. Yes, fan-lined rally stages are an iconic image of the sport, but being seconds away from a massive body count isn't really conducive to a quick stage time...

Jaguar Sprite



At first glance, this would appear to be a nicely restored Austin Healey Sprite.





Hang on a minute... that transmission tunnel's rather on the enormous side, isn't it?



Goodness, there's a Jag engine in there! (Sorry, the title of the blog post had probably already ruined that surprise for you.)

Aaron Couper's diminutive Sprite has taken the concept of raspy cloth-cap British motoring to a gnarly extreme by shoehorning a huge 3.8-litre Jaguar six into a place where it has no logical place residing. The quality of the craftsmanship that's gone into this little Healey to actually make it work is really quite impressive - click here for more.