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27 giugno Sorting an eBay accidentRichard Aucock writes: When you accidentally buy a car from eBay, deciding what to do with it is always a challenge. One not fully solved by keeping it at your ex’s parents’ house for, ooh, a year. As the polite texts, advising that I do something, increased in frequency and decreased in politeness, I racked my brain. Then, the solution – pretty obvious, to be fair – popped up.
But it was with trepidation that I broached the subject with my mum, expecting her to point out the error of my ways, that I should learn, that my room is so much tidier than when I lived there, and so on. Surprisingly, though, she didn’t. It turned out that, now summer’s here, the cat was finding the driveway a bit hot, and something to sleep beneath would be just the job.
Bingo. Next problem – how to get it there, 10 miles away from where it had resided for so long. Luck was on my side here too, though. Through my mate Dunc. Who not only runs his own vehicle tuning business, but also works for a breakdown recovery company. And has Big Truck.
One nightmarish Sunday morning later, after digging the tree from the side of the Golf which had grown around it (and after pushing it from the back garden, on my own, but not before releasing the corroded brakes by sheer brute force, will and determination), it was there. Ready for its new home.
Dunc duly arrived, lights flashing, like a knight of the fifth emergency service. Shaking his head as he did so (his thoughts, alarmingly, mirrored those I’d get half an hour later from my mum), the Golf was loaded onto Big Truck, and out onto the road. I'm sure I heard a cheer as we left.
Dunc doesn’t hang about in Big Truck, which is man enough to pull buses, so treated the Golf like a mere fly on the back of an elephant. Of course, this meant I would be greeted with dismay the equal of his when I got to my parents, and so it proved.
No, it’s not a minter, this Golf. But it will be, mark my words! I’ve done it before, and will do it again. I will learn, one day. Etc. Both mum and Dunc seemed thoroughly unconvinced. But fix it up I will – before the summer’s through, too. Not least because I have no choice. See, the cat doesn’t like sleeping beneath cars in the winter, as he finds the darkness a bit too ruminative and melancholic.
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26 giugno The worst job in the world?
Dan Trent writes: You often read about eastern European workers coming to Britain to fill the jobs nobody here wants to do. And if that’s the case the Polish chap who dropped off the Boxster RS60 we’ve got on test landed himself a proper stinker. After all, can there be anything worse than driving round Britain’s overcrowded roads in a truck, delivering Porsches to various undeserving motoring hacks? Day in day out he’ll load his truck with various dream cars, sit in traffic for hours, get lost, endure endless “are you nearly here yet?” phone calls and then face the ordeal of handing over the keys for yet another 911, Boxster or Cayman to some beaming idiot unable to contain his excitement at being given a Porsche to play with for the weekend. If that’s not some kind of exquisite torture I don’t know what is.
A beaming idiot with a Porsche, yesterday. Worse still, the folks back home probably think he’s a hero when he tells them his job is to drive Porsches around all day. So next time you feel like whinging about your job just remember there's always someone worse off than yourself. He says, from the driver's seat of a Porsche... Dan
The true cost of a prangRichard Aucock writes: Accidents happen. But while big shunts are obviously painful, have you ever wondered about the actual cost of hitting that stray kerb, or nudging a tail light into another car when reversing? Even, the cost of an Exocet stone cracking the windscreen?
But for once, I looked at this one carefully, not least because the small print takes up two columns and 28 bulletpoints on the back. Buried within all that is a ‘Re-charge Menu Pricing Matrix’. A what? Basically, the cost of any ineptitude.
Damage an alloy? £45, sir – plus VAT. Broken tail light? £18. Damaged windscreen? £40. But it’s when you get to body panels that it really ramps up. If Vauxhall needs to paint one panel, it’ll charge you £170. Two panels is £295, three panels is £360. Suddenly, that innocuous scrape along, say, a near-luminous white side doesn’t look so minor, does it?
Paint 1 panel: £170 ----
24 giugno Scirocco blows us back in time
Dan Trent writes: Greetings from Portugal and the launch of the new – and very cool – VW Scirocco. You’ll be able to read a full first drive on the new car very soon here on MSN Cars but VW was also kind enough to lay on some original Mk1 Sciroccos for us to have a go with.
These kind of things are always lots of fun and having once again triumphed in the test car bun fight and bagged one of the much prized Viper Green 2-litre models I was thrilled to see the 30-year-old cars available to us were in the same colour, complete with matching tartan trim on the seats. Very cool indeed.
So what’s it like to drive? Well, you need to quickly adjust to 1970s grip levels and braking power if you’re to avoid a fairly unpleasant tumble into the sea. And with just 84bhp from its 1.6-litre engine the old car trails the blistering 197bhp of the turbocharged, direct injection motor in the new car. But it weighs 500kg less, is nearly 20cm narrower and feels so much more nimble as a result, aided by the great view afforded by the slim pillars.
It’s aged well too, the crisp Giugiaro coupe styling angular and hard edged but definitely still cool. Actually predating the related Mk1 Golf slightly, the Scirocco's 1974 debut heralded a new age for VW and marked a move away from the Beetle era. And VW claims the new model does just the same, previewing a new, more aggressive look for the next generation of VWs. We’ll see about that but I blast from the past like this is always fun. Dan
23 giugno Keep your Imprezas, THIS is a real SubaruDan Trent writes:So what makes a proper Subaru? Well, most of the things apparently missing from the current Impreza for a start. Which is what makes the diesel Legacy estate we’ve got in on test at the moment such a delight. We’ve got: four-wheel drive – check. Frameless doors – check. Loads of space – check. A slightly plasticky but ultimately hardwearing interior – check. We’ve even got a bonnet scoop! But this one’s a diesel, Subaru’s first and it’s a blinder. The only thing missing is the layer of caked-on grime traditional hard working rural Subarus all seem to wear. That and some form of chrome prancing animal mounted in the middle of the bonnet. It’s a country thing.
Anyway, in keeping with the Legacy’s workhorse ethos I loaded up the cavernous interior with bikes and headed off for a day’s riding in south Wales. And, unlike with my own Impreza WRX wagon, didn’t have to stop for fuel every five minutes.
It seems I’m not the only MSN contributor hauling mountain bikes around either. And like Ellen’s Outlander the Legacy certainly fits the profile as transport for outdoorsy types – like a big rucksack you can just keep chucking it full of stuff. Yup, all in all I was feeling pretty smug about my choice of wheels. But there’s always one smart arse who has to go and shatter the pretence that you can have a fun car OR a practical one. Yes, that is a Cayman S with a bike rack on it. Hmm, the Legacy was great and everything … but… Dan Links: Mountain biking with the Outlander
20 giugno Meet our new long-term BMW 135iMPeter Bale, MSN UK Executive Producer, writes... “I call it the red hot rod” the man from the BMW delivery service said when he handed over the chunky fob for the 135iM Sport.
Apart from the obvious question of colour it didn’t take me long to find out why he called it that. The 135iM simply has to be the most powerful, best value, nuttiest car in its class. I am not sure it even has a car in its class since it has supercar performance with a £32,000 price tag in a car the size of, well, a one-series and remarkable economy for the performance. To talk about economy and performance in the same breadth has to be sensible and in those terms the BMW seems even harder to beat. The BMW Efficient Dynamics programme is more than marketing – it really is a fundamental rethink about the balance between efficiency, economy, safety and the sensible use of power.
In a few weeks the 135iM has convinced me that BMW is really on to something. The raw numbers for the BMW are impressive on paper, 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds and on to a governed 155mph. But it is the real delivery of that power and the economy with which it comes that is so impressive. The on-screen computer tells me I have averaged 22.9 mpg but that is from a period which included lending it to the rest of the MSN Cars gang who managed to get the indicator down to 11mpg (average?). It is also predominantly urban driving with the odd burst out into the country with runs well over 100 mph. The real-time consumption meter suggested I was getting 27mpg at 70 mph which has to be impressive. The car is also growing on me. Something about the low slung body, the neat little soft top and the huge wheels makes the Chris Bangle love-it-or-hate-it approach of the 1-series range really work. It looks snug, modest and compact and not bloated the way some convertible and coupe spin offs of sedans do.
Having loved the BMW 2002 when I was growing up the 1-series is its natural successor and in the far more powerful 135iM I can recover from the fact I never drove a 2002Tii. There will be more about the 135iM in coming reviews and expeditions but so far it is all looking red and hot rod-like. Mazda MX-5 Roadster-Coupe long-termer
Spanish baggage handlers, we thank you!
Dan Trent writes: Off to Spain to drive the new Lancer Ralliart. But this was not a launch apparently. No, this was a 'dynamic preview', whatever that may be. Anyway, the Ralliart version (aka, the baby Evo) was being launched, sorry, dynamically previewed, alongside the 'civilian' Lancer Sportback. And as ever at these things, all the hacks were clamouring to be the first in the hot version.
And having been told there would only be a tiny number of Ralliarts for us to drive there was panic among the assembled throng at the thought of ending up with a base-spec 1.5 or diesel automatic, made worse by a hold up with the baggage at Barcelona airport. Feeling very smug I'd packed light and only had hand baggage, I waltzed on through, hopeful I'd be able to get first dibs on a Ralliart. Together with one other journo I made my way to the line up of test cars. "Hi there, can we have a Ralliart?"
The Mitsubishi man consulted his clipboard. "Sorry, we don't have any here." But among the all-black fleet of Lancer Sportbacks there was one suspiciously lairy looking orange car, rippling with vents and looking very mean. "What's that then?" we asked. "Oh ... that's a Ralliart. But you're not meant to drive that til tomorrow," said our man, looking a little panicked.
"But it is available?" "Um, I guess..." Result! And without a trace of smugness (OK, maybe a bit...) at the fact our colleagues were still stuck in baggage reclaim we headed off, eagerly anticipating breaking the news of our steal when we caught up with them later on. It was worth it for the looks of disbelief too. "The Ralliart? Yeah, already driven it. And how was the 1.5?" Dan
19 giugno Boost my range, make £19Richard Aucock writes: The effects of the four-day fuel tanker driver strike have certainly been felt. Not least by those of us with lots of miles to cover.
Because, there is no fuel out there! Well, certainly very little in and around our Hertfordshire office, and little at home, either. BP was sold out of diesel, as was Tesco, as was Sainsbury’s, and Shell, and Texaco. But I had over 700 miles to cover in less than 24 hours. What to do?
--- Links: Improve your fuel economy by 20% Diesel v petrol: which is best? 450 miles, two weeks, one tank of diesel
18 giugno Mercedes Research day – SevilleTom Evans writes: To Seville to see and drive in some of Mercedes’s latest prototype research vehicles – and at the same time witness a huge effort to establish the firm’s green credentials against effective marketing from arch rival BMW’s Efficient Dynamics programme. I share a car from the airport with Nigel Wonnacott, lately head of PR at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, now making the interesting move from that side of the fence to the journalistic one:
After a tricky navigation through the narrow streets of Seville we arrive at rather a nice hotel near the city’s centre. Euro 2008 is on, and Germany is losing – cue long faces from the phalanx of mostly German support staff:
After a presentation about Merc’s baffling array of green initiatives, we retire for a tapas evening, which starts with some splendid flamenco dancing:
I have a good chat with Dr Christian Mohrdieck (below left), head of Daimler’s fuel cell division, who confirms what we might have guessed: since the oil price started to go through the roof, his division has become very busy and a focus for increasing numbers of senior executives:
From the other end of the business, I also chat with the amiable Christopher Rhoades, an American who works in Daimler’s design studio in southern California, about the future of fuel and alternative technologies, joined by Andrew English (right) of the Daily Telegraph:
Right at the end I ask what will cars be powered by in 2040, when there will be 1.8bn of them, against 900m today. The general answer: lots of different ways – certainly with electric power dominating in cities, and something a bit more rangey and energy concentrated in the countryside (assuming there is any of that left by then...). Next day it is an early start and off to a test track an hour outside Seville. My first stop: a 45 tonne Actros truck, powered by a new Bluetec diesel engine which gives good fuel economy for a truck equipped with a 14-litre V8 cranking out 2000NM of torque from just 900rpm – it redlines at just 2,500!:
It was in fact dead easy to use – a semi auto gearbox doing most of the work – though I suspect the public road is a darn sight harder to work with... Nicely equipped too with radar guided cruise control, climate control, and 2 beds. Next up is the Unimog, the infamous go-anywhere vehicle used in harsh climates everywhere:
And last but not least – a dumper truck, which I found awesomely manoeuvrable – not surprising really given the narrow urban streets it needs to cope with:
After that, and it’s off to the research cars:
I’ll give full chapter and verse on all this in my article, but here are some fun pics: Getting into the F700 limo
The F600 fuel cell car
Me at the wheel of a S500 equipped with a laser system that reads the road surface ahead and adjusts the suspension accordingly.
The F600 fuel cell car
The Sun’s Phil Lanning dons a doctor’s outfit for his pictures. He insists that is in fact a scientist’s uniform though we are not so sure, and the same can be said of the chopsticks...
It’s 4 Car’s Tim Bowdler, trying a M-B cap for size:
Then a quick run in an E300 back to the airport and uneventful two-leg flight back to LHR (via the splendid Madrid airport – what a wonderful place that is in comparison to Heathrow’s T2) and a much needed bed. Overall fa fascinating trip that underlines how the issues of high fuel economy and low emissions has come to totally dominate future car development - and as ever with Merc launches, very enjoyable and well organised. Full article to follow shortly. Tom 17 giugno Anatomy of a spinRichard Aucock writes: It’s not every day a car spins to a halt inches before you. But then, it’s not every day you’re standing on a former airfield, photographing journos ‘trying’ to ‘drift’ Mercedes. Gave me the perfect opportunity to capture some smoke and movers. Such as this sequence.
Where’s the drama, you’re thinking? He has caught his previous ‘moment’ well, our driver. The rear seems perfectly in shape. Only, he’s still carrying too much momentum. It needs more correction to keep it, as the instructor’s finger is somewhat despairingly suggesting, going straight.
… Or else, the rear end will let go again as he turns into the corner, due to the good old pendulum effect. See the tell-tale whiff of tyre smoke? There’s your clue.
Ey up, something’s going on. The instructor’s finger has long given up pointing straight. Instead, ‘opposite lock’, it’s screaming! And now!
He’s still trying though. Fair play. You don’t see that much lock in Sainsbury’s car park.
Finally, it scrabbles to a halt, tyres giving themselves up in the process.
Probably wondering what the hell just happened, our man winds off the lock. Bit late, methinks. But why, pray tell, did he end up in such a pickle in the first place? Maybe because he was doing this, about half a mile before the corner…
--- Links: On track in the Mercedes SL 63 AMG
16 giugno Getting wed with VauxhallPeter Burgess writes:
I’ve just got back from my son’s wedding at the weekend. As the man with “the right connections”, one of my task was to secure suitable transport for the bride and groom. There was no question where to go, and a call had been put in early on in the year to Craig Cheetham at Vauxhall. One of Craig’s many jobs is to manage the PR for Vauxhall’s impressive heritage fleet. With several dozen historic Vauxhalls dating back over 100 years, the choice is simply inspiring. Starting with several pre-1906 cars that are eligible for the annual London to Brighton run, the fleet runs through to a 2004 VXR220 , with a good supply of Cavalier, Chevette and Victor models from the 60’s and 70’s. Craig stopped me from getting carried away. Yes, the 1926 Vauxhall Velox Tourer looked grandly impressive, but I had 300 miles to cover. So we homed in on the 1936 BXL Limousine, with coachwork by The Grosvenor Carriage Company. Old enough to have that classic look, but with ten years valuable development on the Velox Tourer.
As you can see, it looks the part. The 3.2 litre six-cylinder engine sounded promising too, though I failed to take into account that in 1936 that meant an output of just 27 horsepower. But big capacity usually means decent torque, and the BXL had that in spade-fulls, pulling happily from 20mph in fourth gear. It’s not engine power that restricts the top speed, though. On motorways the brakes concentrate the mind. Drums operated by cables, there’s simply not enough leverage in the system to anchor up quickly. Those 300 metre warnings before the slip road really do take on a new meaning. On winding roads it’s the weight of the steering that makes the a serious BXL challenge.
But you warm into the eccentricities of pre-war motoring. 45mph soon becomes a comfortable cruising speed. 130 miles becomes an adventure to be punctuated by pleasant stops for coffee and cakes, and long leisurely lunches. And it was a huge hit at the wedding, the palatial limo interior, complete with wind-up glass partition, just the ticket.
As someone who drives close to 100 new cars every year, the old, eccentric and simply weird have a special appeal. You only have to look at the number of journalists who own old Porsches to realise that. But it takes cars like the Vauxhall BXL to show you that, once in a while, real classic motoring is something to be savoured no matter what the green lobby has to say. This is our heritage!
--- Links: A day with Porsche not driving the new 911!
13 giugno Is track driving boring?
Pic by Nick Dungan of Smudged Images Dan Trent writes: The short answer is no, of course not. But my Renaultsport day at Brands taught me that proper circuit technique is about methodical, serious driving rather than thrill seeking antics. Whenever possible I always try and grab a bit of tuition when I’m on a trackday and this time I really lucked out with my instructor, a chap by the name of David Roucka-Brown. Having established I knew the basics he started to give me full-on technical instruction about how to tackle the short but challenging Brands Indy circuit. And I had the sudden realisation that approaching circuit driving from a racer’s point of view is very different from my usual approach of hooning about like an idiot.
Pic by Danny Milner A trackday is all about having a laugh. But once you reach a reasonable level of competence the natural instinct is to look at the next stage and improve your technique further. And with David’s polite but unnervingly precise dissection of my driving – typically: “You were probably about three feet too early on your turn in there…” – I realised driving to win races is a seriously disciplined exercise. Discipline my attempts at nailing Clearways – the techie final corner at Brands – proved I could do with improving. And it’s not about having fun. To be good as a racer you’ve got to be meticulous, accurate and blessed with the ability to drive with metronomic consistency – which explains why modern F1 drivers are all so damned boring. And there was me thinking it was about glamour, dating models and hanging out in Monaco. Darn!
Pic by Nick Dungan of Smudged Images Driving a car at breakneck speed on a race track IS exciting. But to be really good at it you’ve got to be able put that to one side. Which is why the James Hunts and Gilles Villeneuves of old have made way for the Schumacher generation of machine-like drivers for whom 200mph barely raises a sweat. Meanwhile out on Brands I was struggling to detach myself from the instinctive excitement at being on a track and be a bit more cold and calculating. It was fascinating. But fun? Not like messing about trying to flick the car sideways as I was at Bedford a couple of weeks before. And I’ve always been of the view that when you start taking things too seriously you need to watch out. But my glimpse of track driving from a proper racer’s mindset was incredibly revealing. And despite David’s best efforts I still never quite got Clearways spot on. As he said on my assessment sheet, ‘practice makes perfect Dan!’ Dan Links:
Renaults at Brands Hatch by Nick Dungan of Smudged Images
A day with Porsche not driving the new 911! Peter Burgess writes:
Peter Links:
12 giugno Meet our new long-termerIan writes...
My lovely little Skoda Fabia has retired after nine tough months on our long-term test fleet (look out for a goodbye report coming soon). And in its place I have pleasure in introducing you to my next set of wheels - a Mazda MX-5 Roadster-Coupé. So why did I go for the MX-5? Well, despite the somewhat tenuous hair-dresser image, the MX-5 is one of the most enjoyable cars you can buy circa £20k. With rear-wheel drive, two seats and a low-slung driving position, it looks and goes like a proper roadster. I went for the 2.0-litre petrol engine which, although isn't a screamer, is quick enough to enjoy yourself - and will probably loosen up nicely as I bed the engine in.
Options wise, I kept it fairly trim, opting only for the Bose sound system and metallic grey paint, bringing the price up from the standard £21,100 to a reasonable £22,030. I choose the RC version because I don't trust someone not to pierce the roof with a knife, plus I will be using it throughout the winter when I can properly test the advantages of having a piece of metal rather than canvas. Heated seats mean I will probably be putting the roof down on icy mornings, too. Another recent addition to our fleet is a BMW 135i Convertible, so it will be interesting to compare these two drop-tops which sit at opposing ends of the scale. My money's on the MX-5 for its low-speed fun, speedy roof and frugality.
GREENPEACE MISSES THE POINT
Dan Trent writes: Letting the facts get in the way of a good publicity stunt is one inconvenient truth Greenpeace seems to be avoiding, the green pressure group this week attacking German car makers for their apparently ‘stone age’ ideas when it comes to climate change. Now there is without doubt a degree of self interest in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s lobbying at the EU on behalf of her domestic motoring industry. After all, the German car industry has a 16.9% share of the world market and over six million cars were made in Germany last year, with nearly 750,000 people employed by the sector.* The German manufacturers have been campaigning to have the fleet-wide 120g/km CO2 limit due in 2012 extended by three years to stand a chance of compliance. But Greenpeace set about ‘exposing’ the German car industry as ‘driving climate change’ by hanging banners off a large crane outside meeting of EU environment ministers in Luxemburg and driving Fred Flintstone cars past to highlight supposed prehistoric attitudes of the carmakers. VW, BMW and Mercedes aren’t exactly saints when it comes to the climate change debate but each manufacturer is pushing ahead with sensible, real world efficiency-boosting technology. VW has its BlueMotion cars and can't make enough of its nifty low-capacity TFSI petrol engines and BMW its EfficientDynamics range, while Mercedes forges ahead with fuel cell development and its Bluetec low-NOx diesel exhaust systems. And these innovations are coming on stream in mass market, high volume models rather than headline grabbing ‘eco’ niche headline grabbers like the Toyota Prius or G-Wiz. Sorry Greenpeace, but you’re aiming your fire at the wrong targets. Dan Links:
Greenpeace attacks the German car industry *The VDA German motor industry federation
11 giugno Outlander ReviewBy: Ellen Cresswell, contributor Living in central London means I very rarely have the need to drive. Apart from the odd trip to the hardware store or to visit friends living outside Zone 2, the public transport system has adequately – if not punctually – served my needs. Until recently, that is. My flat has no parking and I don’t drive often enough to warrant owning a car. Besides, owning a car goes against everything I believe in – I’m am enormously concerned about global warming and firmly believe that emissions from cars is one of the main contributors. I do everything I can to reduce my carbon footprint whilst maintaining my lifestyle. I started doing adventure races last year, and while it’s a healthy and only occasionally dangerous pursuit, it requires transporting a vast amount of gear to remote areas in the UK. And, even though I’m quite new to the sport, I haven’t yet found any races taking place inside the M25. Catching a train with a bag-full of gear in one hand and a mountain bike in the other is an adventure enough and that’s before I even reach the start line. So, I had mixed feelings when I borrowed a Mitsubishi Outlander to transport me, two team-mates and all of our gear – including three mountain bikes - to a weekend of adventure racing in the Brecon Beacons. Not being used to driving in central London, let alone a 4WD, I was a little anxious as I drove from MSN towers to my flat in south-west London. But I quickly realised that being behind the wheel of the Outlander felt more like driving a car than a 4WD – the first of many pleasant surprises over the weekend.
The second surprise was the ease with which all of our kit fit into the car. We folded down two of the three rear seats, which created more than enough space for our bikes (front wheel removed) and associated kit. But the real fun started when we hit the M4. It’s been many years since I’ve driven a diesel car, and I’d held the mistaken belief that they were really sluggish to get moving. How wrong I was. The Outlander was just as swift to move as an ordinary petrol car, and with a sixth gear, it got us from London to Wales in good time – and comfort. The in-dash sat nav as a god send, although finding the volume control proved a challenge. The voice was unnecessarily loud. Once we arrived, we removed the bikes from the Outlander to stow safely at our accommodation. With the rear seats back up, the Outlander comfortably fit four burly men, and me.
The 4WD really came into its own after a three-hour mountain biking session in cold, driving rain. We were chilled to the bone, soaking wet and covered in mud and the Outlander was nothing short of an oasis. Once we loaded the bikes back into the car, the heating was super fast to kick in, and the warmed seats were nothing short of a miracle. The Outlander used less than £50 of diesel for the return journey, so the cost of ownership aside, it was certainly cheaper than the three of us catching a train to Abergavenny. By the time I was driving back into central London, I had become quite attached to the Outlander. So attached, in fact, that for a rash moment I almost talked myself into buying one. Sanity prevailed – not least because I wouldn’t use it enough to justify the investment – but I now have a newfound sympathy when I see 4WDs in urban jungles.
Lapping Silverstone in a 425bhp Formula RenaultPhotos from Jakob Ebrey/Renaultsport UK Dan Trent writes: This job gets you some pretty special rides in some amazing cars. But nothing could prepare me for my first ever run in a proper single-seat racing car ... even if this one actually had two seats. Whatever, it's as near as dammit. And where better than Silverstone, which in a few weeks will be hosting the British Grand Prix and last weekend was home to the Renault World Series. Now the specially converted Formula Renault 3.5 I was riding in wasn’t as fast as a F1 car. But with a 425bhp race-prepped version of the Nissan 350Z’s 3.5-litre V6, automated sequential gearbox, proper aero kit and slick tyres it’s as close as you’re going to get. And plenty fast enough to punch the air from your lungs and teach you new respect for the Hamiltons of this world (pitlane muppetry notwithstanding). It ain’t comfy though, with even the specially lengthened chassis forcing you into a strange squatting position with your shins up against the back of the driver’s seat. But for a ride like this you’ll endure any discomfort.
Lurching from the pit box the view before me was pure PlayStation – the dome of the driver’s helmet, a scrap of bodywork, two dinky mirrors and the Beckett’s complex framed by spindly suspension and two fat, slick racing tyres. Exploding out of the pitlane and into the famously fast left-right-left-right sequence as the g-forces cut in I was glad there was no room for me to move in the cockpit. It didn’t stop my internal organs rattling around inside my torso though, or my head flying forward as we hit the braking zone for the surprisingly tight right-hander at Chapel at the end of the complex. I say surprisingly tight because when you see the F1 boys tackling it they barely seem to slow but from inside the car it feels a lot more dramatic. And from this tarmac-skimming perspective I began to appreciate quite how challenging Silverstone’s super fast corners can be – because it’s so flat here you have hardly any reference points to aim at and how the F1 drivers manage to be so fast and so precise beggars belief.
My driver was keeping things very smooth but even so I completely failed to anticipate how late he would brake at the end of the Hanger straight and once again my head – seconds before pinned back by the slipstream – snapped violently forward. The rest of the lap passed in a blur but the flat right-hander at Bridge sticks out as perhaps the most thrilling single moment. Mere seconds later we were back in the pits, the next lucky passenger waiting to be strapped in for the most exciting couple of minutes of their life. I managed a thumbs up as I staggered, stunned, from the car and will be watching every second of the forthcoming the British GP with new fascination. Dan LinksMore info on Formula Renault 3.5
10 giugno Caterham drifting dayBy Chris Pickering, contributor
Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there. You drive into a car park and part of you just can’t help thinking what a shame it is to let such a large expanse of tarmac go to waste. The temptation to remove a few millimetres of tyre tread is there, but then images of irate store managers and disapproving policemen divert your attention back to picking up the week’s groceries. That is, unless you happen to be attending the Caterham Drift Experience at Silverstone, where the car parks normally used by visitors to events like the British Grand Prix suddenly become the giant playground you always wished they were. Whatsmore, you get a selection of Caterhams to play with, complete with limited slip differentials and over-inflated rear tyres. Safety first
Our day began with a refreshingly short safety briefing, and then it was straight down to business. The first circuit opened with a slalom to get the feel of the car, followed by a sweeping bend and a rolling doughnut to finish. Given the wet conditions it wasn’t difficult to break traction and from there the car's delicate balance, fine steering and pin-sharp throttle response made the art of drifting suddenly seem rather more accessible. I was feeling quietly pleased with my first couple of runs and just managed one more before the circuit was changed to a figure of eight. Along with the new route came my first chance to sample a standard Roadsport. Up until that point I’d been using the wide-bodied SV and I found its smaller, lighter sibling even more entertaining. Slightly less provocation was required to push it into oversteer and it seemed to possess a greater delicacy of control thereafter. The format for the afternoon session was slightly different.
This time there was just one (significantly longer) course. We were given a demonstration before being let loose and, as with earlier runs, the organisers had chosen the possibly the most petite, effeminate young lady ever to don a racing helmet to comprehensively upstage the (largely male) punters. By that point, the surface was almost completely dry and holding a successful drift was becoming a lot more challenging – at least for me. Rolling doughnuts The new course was essentially a square, with cone slaloms down each side and a rolling doughnut between the two at each end. After three practise runs it was time to put our new skills into action. When my time approached, I waited on the start line trying to think of everything we'd been told; then as the previous car pitted I released the jerky competition clutch and headed out onto the course. I took things gently weaving through the tightly placed cones at the start and then went for it as the course opened up. I managed a vaguely credible drift on the first right-hander and rapidly found myself approaching the rolling doughnut. In on the brakes… a good blast of power… catch it and blip the throttle again to keep it going for a full 360 degrees. All was going well u ntil the next corner when I got back on the throttle a little too early and the car ended up spinning to a halt. I carried on a little gingerly through the remainder of the S-bend only to spin again on the penultimate turn. Things weren't going well and only a somewhat ragged doughnut at the end of the lap saved me from complete humiliation. Despite all of this, I retuned to the garage grinning like an imbecile. My competitive streak may have fallen short, but it was still the most fun I'd had in ages. The instructors had been superb; the cars fantastic. As with any of these events there was a certain amount of time spent waiting for driver changes and such like, but it never seemed to drag. There was plenty to watch while other people were doing their runs, as well as simply soaking up the atmosphere of one of motorsport's most evocative locations. It was also a great chance to meet some fellow enthusiasts.
Hyundai Coupe TSIII: fake that!cj hubbard writes:
Bit of a disturbing trend this. First the Lexus IS F (a car that has absolutely no excuse, actually, since it is supposed to be a bona fide performance hooligan), now the limited edition Hyundai Coupe TSIII. And what are we on about? Fake exhausts...
Picture by Dan Now, I appreciate that this isn't necessarily a new trend (Mazda6 MPS please stand up - and that's just one example). But it's got to stop. I mean, how stupid does that look? Vaguely aping the the weird double ended pipes of various Porsche 911s is one thing. Doing it with such obviously blanked off fake tailpipe trimming is quite another.
Picture by Dan C'mon, Hyundai. If you're going to go to the trouble of building a rorty looking white-with-black-wheels special edition, do it properly. And make the exhaust loud as well as proud (like this car), which might help us take our mind off the uninspiring engine note of the wheezy 2.0-litre engine under the bonnet, and the Coupe's rather unconvincing chassis dynamics. Still, the interior looks nice. All quilted leather and such. Shame it isn't actually comfortable... Oh dear. --- Links: On test: Ford Fiesta ST Mountune
04 giugno Battle of the Clios, round 3!Dan Trent writes: Time for another Renaultsport trackday in the Clio, this time at a sodden Brands Hatch Indy circuit. A nail in one of my tyres (sod’s law – the only one that actually had decent tread left on it after the day at Bedford) saw two new Continental Sport Contact 3s going on the day before and I was ready for round three of my on-track duelling with fellow Clio Cup long term custodian Chris Knapman from Performance Car Magazine.
Pic by Nick Dungan of Smudged Images The Clios were rested this time round, our weapons of choice being a pair of poor unsuspecting Twingos. Much tyre squealing later (a bit too much tyre squealing for the Brands marshals, although they were very nice about it) and it was declared a points draw and with the rain coming down we swapped back to the Clios. Pic by Nick Dungan of Smudged Images Now Chris and I seem fairly evenly matched after our excursions at Spa and Bedford. But no matter how hard I tried he dropped me like a bad smell. I needed an excuse, and badly. And then I remembered how he’d mentioned he’d also got new tyres on his Clio, in his case Dunlop Sport Maxx TTs. Bingo – that was it! His tyres! I caught up with him in the pits and suggested we swap cars to see if I was right and straight away the difference was obvious. On the fresh Contis my car was slithering all over the place but Chris’ Dunlops meant I was able to corner not far off my dry pace. The difference was dramatic and, honour restored, I was glad to discover the reason for his extra speed. Maybe the Contis will bed in with a few more miles on them but in the conditions today the Dunlops had the edge. Dan Links: More Brands pics by Nick Dungan of Smudged Images
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