Tag Archives: 2011

WRC Rally Team – Hayden Padden New Zealand

WRC

Got an email of my good friend Steve Cotton from Cotton Competition who happens to be working for the New Zealand WRC rally team.

So thought I would show you the videos from the teams perspective and perhaps pretty apt to celebrate New Zealands Gracious win at the Rugby World Cup.

Hope to see you soon Steve and fetch me a jacket back….

Source:- www.hayden-paddon.com

Marco Simoncelli – Horrific Accident MotoGp Malaysia 2011

The Moto-GP race at Malaysia today was cancelled due to a horrific accident, resulting in the death of Marco Simoncelli.

His death comes a week after those of Baja Racer Rick Husemen and fellow Brit Dan Wheldon at Indy 500.

The horrific accident happened on the second lap of the Malaysian GP Circuit where his bike lost control of the Honda and catapulted on to oncoming riders Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.

Condolences go out to the family of Marco Simoncelli and friends and colleagues.

I am not going to show you the video as I feel personally its bad taste to publish the death of anyone including Gaddafi.

Aston Martin CEO Dr Bez racing at Nürburgring with Toyota President

Aston Martin have just released this amazing insight in to when Toyota President and Dr Bez share cars on the legendary Nurburgring.

The video depicts the ups and downs of motorsport in dramatic style as the V12 powered Aston Martin ends up in the Barrier.

Just enjoy the footage….

Subaru BRZ Production Prototype Spyshots

The Subaru BRZ is edging closer to a final production prototype, We recently spied the new pictures of the highly-anticipated Subaru FT-86 variant the BRZ.

The car will be exclusively Rear Wheel Drive.

Caught undergoing testing near the Nürburgring, the heavily camouflaged prototype looks virtually identical to the Toyota FT-86 but is distinguished by a revised front bumper and LED daytime running lights.

The BRZ measures 4.2m in length, 1.8m wide and stands 1,3m high.

The rear-wheel drive (RWD) sports coupe will also feature Toyota’s direct-injection technology, called D-4S, the naturally-aspirated 2.0 litre horizontally-opposed Boxer engine is touted to have 200bhp.

Click to see the Gallery of the Subaru BRZ Prototype
BRZ Subaru in Heavy Camouflage Click to go to the Gallery!

Viper ACR from Tomball Dodge Official Nurburgring Record Run 7’12.3 Video

After numerous days of making us wait the guys at SRT along with Tomball Dodge have released an epic video of the 7.12.13 record run on the Nurburgrings Northloop in Germany.

Dominik Farnbacher the veteran GT driver managed to shave more than 2 seconds of the Lexus LFA.

It looks like the 2013 dodge viper is going to have an hard act to follow.

Considering the recent record runs in the states and in the Germany.

ACR Viper Laps Nurburgring
ACR 7:12 Record!

Audi RS4 Avant B8 Spyshots at the Nurburgring

As a previous B5 RS4 owner I was left somewhat disappointed with the removal of the trademark forced induction from the 420ps B7 RS4, Now the 2013 Audi RS4 has shown its in production prototype on Germany’s Nürburgring.

The B8 Audi RS4 is incorporating a much more aggressive front fascia complete with lower and wider air intakes similar to the RS5 Coupe.

Rumors have suggested that an all-new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 could be put to use here and with the extensive competition from AMG and BMW M-Power it is looking likely.

CLICK PICTURE TO GO TO THE GALLERY!

Audi RS4 B8 Spyshot Nurburgring
Spyshot of the Upcoming Audi RS4 Avant

Range Rover Sport Spied on the Nurburgring

The 2013 Range Rover will be the fourth generation superceding the original that was produced from 1970 to 1996, the second series platform lasted from 1994 to 2001, and the current “Stormer Concept” that has been in production post 2002.

These Spyshots even though heavily camouflaged hints at its longer wheelbase and completely revised shell.

By using the lightweight material, engineers could lose up to 40 percent from the weight of the current Range Rover’s unpainted body shell, equating to a saving of roughly 660 to 880 pounds. Advanced composites are also expected to be used for certain elements, such as the body panels and rear tailgate.

Click The Photo for Full Gallery

Range Rover Sport Spyshots
2013 Range Rover Sport Spyshots

V12 Zagatos Unveiled at Aston Martins Test Center for the Nurburgring’s 24h

Nürburgring 22 June 2011. This week Aston Martin is putting the final touches to its race preparations in readiness for the toughest 24 hour race of them all – the annual ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours on 25 and 26 June where a brace of new Aston Martin V12 Zagatos will compete.

This weekend marks the next step of an ambitious project which began when the V12 Zagato was unveiled at the Concorso D’Eleganza at Villa D’Este in May this year, winning the Design award for Concepts and Prototypes. The show car was then transformed into the number 3 race car, nicknamed ‘Zag’ (red) and will be piloted in the 24 hour race by Aston Martin CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez, the company’s Nürburgring Test Centre Director, Wolfgang Schuhbauer and automotive journalists Horst von Saurma and Matthew Marsh.

In addition, a green V12 Zagato (nicknamed ‘Zig’) – car number 5 for the race – was prepared by the small team based at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Zig will be driven by One-77 Chief Engineer Chris Porritt, experienced sports car driver Oliver Mathai, automotive journalist Richard Meaden and experienced amateur racer Peter Cate.

Joining the Zagatos will be a V8 Vantage GT4 affectionately nicknamed ‘Smurf’ (now orange but formally blue) which will be driven by Aston Martin Racing works driver, Darren Turner, journalist and experienced 24 hour driver, Shinichi Katsura, Australian racer Rob Thomson and seasoned Nürburgring pilot Jurgen Stumpf.

Three further customer team V8 Vantages will be competing over the weekend bringing the Aston Martin presence in the race up to six cars with Mathol Racing (#62), Bratke Motorsport Team – AVIA (#85) and Team Pflanz (#75) driving Vantage GT4s in the SP10 class.

Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport, David King said: “Our entries this year extend our Nürburgring racing philosophy. For five years now we have signed-off our new products by entering a car which is as close to the road car as possible and subjecting it to the toughest 24 hour test on what best simulates the extremities of public roads. This year we go a step further by testing a car at prototype stage.”

“As ever, the race will present an enormous challenge in a vast and increasingly competitive field which will be fraught with all the unpredictable elements associated with racing at the Nürburgring. However, we are excited by the potential we have seen from the V12 Zagato in the testing we’ve completed and that gives us great hope for the task ahead. We look forward to a safe, successful and enjoyable race for our teams and customers.”

Aston Martin’s presence at the Nürburgring marks the sixth successive time factory engineers complete a product sign-off test in what has been dubbed ‘the toughest 24 hour race’ under public scrutiny. Since 2006, the marque has used the race to prove the reliability and durability of its new models – first for V8 Vantage itself, then the new SportshiftTM transmission in 2007, the 4.7 litre engine V8 Vantage in 2008, the V12 Vantage in 2009, the four-door Rapide in 2010, and now, rather more ambitiously, for the first major test of a new concept car – the Aston Martin V12 Zagato.

In addition to this year’s race, Aston Martin’s American team has joined forces with Road & Track magazine to run a standard road specification Rapide at Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch in the USA for the same 24 hours as the European team at the Nürburgring. The endurance test echoes last year’s Nordschleife attempt where a near standard four-door Rapide with a production six-speed automatic transmission successfully completed the 24 hour race, finishing third in class.

At the Nürburgring the roofs of both V12 Zagatos will be sporting a ‘Heart for Japan’ dedication as part of Aston Martin’s support for the Tsunami victims of Japan. In May, Dr. Bez auctioned his company Rapide raising £100,000. During the build up to this year’s 24 hours Dr. Bez will hand the cheque to Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda and their Donation Fund for Employees in the Affected Disaster Area charity.

The 39th ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hour race starts at 4pm CET on Saturday 25 June – live updates are available by following @astonmartin on Twitter and live commentary will be broadcast via Radio Le Mans (www.radiolemans.com)