Exotic Cars

Alain Prost, Jim Clark or Stirling Moss are just a few famous Formula One drivers that also took part in rally racing. Another legendary driver, Ayrton Senna, was also attracted by this type or racing, but he only did a couple of tests. Even though Formula One and rally racing require completely different technical skills, throughout history there were dozens of Formula One drivers that also took part in rally racing. The latest example is Robert Kubica, who is still driving after a horrible crash in February 2011, a crash that nearly cost him his life. But before him there were others, let’s take a look at them: Jim Clark Known for his World Championship titles won in 1963 and 1965, Jim Clark raced in the RAC Rally in 1966. The rally is currently known as the Wales Rally, the name change taking place in 2003. Driving a Lotus Cortina, Clark recorded best times on three stages, was second on seven others and placed 3 to 5 on five stages. He damaged his car after losing control, he managed to get back in the race, but had to abandon after rolling over his Lotus. Stirling Moss Considered one of the best drivers in the Formula One that never managed to win a Championship title, Sir Stirling Moss also raced in the Monte Carlo rally in 1952. Even though he drove a modest Sunbeam Talbot 90, the British legend impressed everyone with his skills and finished the rally in second place. The winner was famous Sidney Allard, who built his cars by himself. Carlos Reutemann Known after winning 12 Formula One races for teams like Ferrari or Williams, Carlos Reutemann had also an impressive run in the South America Rally. In 1981 he drove a Fiat 131 in Argentina and Brazil, managing to place third. He repeated the experience four years later, driving a Peugeot 205 T16 in the Argentina Rally. He drove the same car Juha Kankkunen drove in 1986 when he won the first out of his four WRC championship titles. Alain Prost The French legend doesn’t need any introduction about his Formula One history. However, what many don’t know is that Prost also tested his skills in rally. After his third Formula One season, he drove a Renault 5 Turbo in Rallye du Var, in 1982. Unfortunately, he had to abandon the race after a problem with the throttle cable. Keke Rosberg 10 years after retiring from Formula One, World Champion Keke Rosberg made his debut in rally racing in the Arctic Rally. It happened in 1996 and he drove a Ford Escort 2000 RS. Even though he had to abandon the race, that didn’t stop Rosberg from competing in five other races between 1999 and 2004, all taking place in Scandinavia. In 1999 he finished seventh in the F Group of the Arctic Rally, driving a Toyota Scarlet, while next year he managed to place second in the same class. He raced in three more races, with Mitsubishi, but didn’t manage any notable performances. Vic Elford The British driver might not be very famous for his Formula One experience (he only won 8 points in 13 races), but his motorsport experience is pretty impressive. In 1968 he won the Monte Carlo Rally at the wheel of a Porsche 911 and a week later he won the 24-hour Dayton race with a Porsche 907, marking the German carmaker’s first win in a 24-hour endurance race. But that wasn’t all of Elford in 1968, because he also managed to win the Targa Florida race after losing 18 minutes in the first lap due to a problem with the tires. Marc Surer The Swiss is probably the Formula One driver with the darkest rally racing experience. After modest results in Formula One between 1979 and 1986, Surer drove a Ford RS200 in the 1986 ADAC Hessen Rally in Germany. Unfortunately, the lack of experience took its toll and the Swiss was involved in a terrible crash that killed his copilot and seriously injured Surer. This crash also marked the end of his driving career. Derek Warwick The British driver raced in Formula One between 1981 and 1993 for teams like Toleman and Renault, but didn’t manage to win any races. He also had a sho

Following the successful launch of the Fiat 500, the Italian car maker, in partnership with its American ally Chrysler, launched the Fiat 500L in the U.S. market. The 500L is an MPV version of the iconic car for those who want something stylish but practical. The L is more suitable for family use, offering 42 percent extra interior space than its hatchback brother and five seats. Despite being a family-centric car, Fiat promises that the 500L offers the same engaging drive and the same features as the beloved 500. In America the Fiat 500L comes with a 160-horsepower 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine with two fuel-saving, six-speed transmissions, and offers four trim levels of Pop, Easy, Trekking and Lounge. The 500L may drive like a 500, but design-wise it is nowhere near as cool and sexy as its sibling, which is understandable. The 500 is like a woman in her 20s, and the 500L is the same woman after giving birth to four kids. The car does offer a great set of features though, even in the base 19 grand model. It comes with bi-halogen headlamps with daytime running lamps, 16-inch chrome-accented wheel covers, all-season tires, stainless-steel exhaust tip, black exterior mirrors with driver- and passenger-side spotter mirrors; heat, air conditioning, power lock and windows with one-touch up/down, cruise control, body-color instrument panel, six speakers, Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) with trip computer, miles-to-empty, average fuel economy and tire-pressure monitoring (TPM) display; steering wheel controls, six-way cloth seats with driver and front-passenger height adjust, 60/40 split-fold rear seatbacks with segment-exclusive fore-aft adjustment, recline and tumble/slide feature; tilt and telescoping steering column, 12-volt console and auxiliary power outlets, multi-position cargo area trunk panel, cap-less fuel-filler door, floor mats, interior observation mirror and dual sun visors with vanity mirrors. That is a long list of features for a small, sub 20K family car. But that is not the end of it. You also get Uconnect 5.0 with its 5-inch touchscreen display, radio voice commands, handsfree phone, Bluetooth-audio streaming, text message reader, personalization settings and media hub (USB and auxiliary ports) for seamless integration of portable devices. Safety features include seven standard air bags, reactive front head restraints, vehicle theft security alarm, child seat anchor system and electronic stability control (ESC) with Hill-start Assist. Fiat realized the only way to beat the Korean and Japanese cars in this segment at their own game is by outdoing them in terms of value for money. The post 2014 Fiat 500L Priced from $19,100 in the U.S. appeared first on Motorward.

BMW and Italian design house Pininfarina team up to present a new concept car at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013. This year’s offering is called the Lusso Gran Coupe, and although the name suggests it is a derivative of the 6-Series family, this car in fact previews what an 8-Series BMW would look like, should they decide to make it.  As with the last year’s concept which was designed by another Italian styling giant Zagato based on the BMW Z4, this car too appears to be a facelifted version of an existing model and not a new car from the ground up. The interior is identical to the M6, save the lavish upholstery and bespoke trimming, and the V12 bi-turbo engine comes from the 760i saloon. The Lusso appears to be more of a collaborative work between the Italians and the Germans. And as history tells us, it’s not a marriage made in heaven. It would be better if the Germans did what they’re best at – which is the engineering – and let the Italians do what they’re best at – which is designing the thing. But BMW clearly didn’t let Pininfarina to roam free and come up with what they think is best. The Germans insisted on maintain their styling cues, hence the odd proportions and the not so beautiful looks. It was the same story with the Z4-based Zagato car. It was indeed very artistic and classy, but we never came across anyone who would look at it and go wow, that’s a beautiful thing. And that kind of spoils the whole point of hiring an Italian designer. You expect them to come up with something sexy and desirable, in the same way you expect a German engineer to make something that works flawlessly forever. The Lusso is not pretty. It doesn’t have the properties of what the majority of people would call pretty. It is chubby; it has a huge nose, the mouth is too large; the hips are too wide; and the bottom is too flat. The Lusso is kind of like Susan Boyle. She’s not a looker, but she’s incredibly talented, and it is because of her talent that people like her. So If BMW decided to make an 8-Series one day and it looked like this, it would be the comfortable yet sporty ride, great performance, and the overall feel of the thing  – and of course the BMW badge – that would make you buy it. BMW has lost its styling mojo long ago and they are not looking hard enough to find it. The post BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé Unveiled appeared first on Motorward.

This past couple of years Renault’s been making nothing but sensible family cars, with an occasional hot hatch or something to keep the fans happy. Now with the amazing Twin’Run Concept they show that their fun and quirky side is still alive and well. This concept car pays homage to the legendary R5 Turbo Rally car and the Clio V6, a hatchback with a big engine where your shopping used to go. Now, the Twin’Run being a modern French hatchback concept, you might be thinking it is an electric or a hybrid city runabout with a silly design. Not so. The Twin’Run is mad as they come. It has a mid-mounted V6 engine with 320 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque, sending its power to the rear wheels via a 6-speed sequential gearbox and a limited slip diff. Performance-wise you can count on a 0 to 60 time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. The car has a bespoke multi-tube steel chassis like racing cars with double wishbone suspension at front and rear, and OHLINS two-way spring-damper combinations. That’s how you set up a pure track car, and what it means is pure, undiluted driving fun. The lightweight body with carbon fiber front blade, roof, rear vent and wheelarches has a dynamic stance and racing aerodynamic properties. Stopping power is provided by a beefy braking system with large discs and 6-piston calipers front/4 piston rear, fitted inside 18-inch wheels shod with Michelin tires size 205 section tires up front and 245 section out back. The Twin’Run is a serious bit of kit. As it stands, the concept car doesn’t have a great chance of production. But Renault says its styling will affect the design of their future small cars. We’d rather its performance inspire future models, but here we are. The post Twin’Run: A Mad Little Concept By Renault appeared first on Motorward.

Almost each Formula One age had one or two pilots that dominated the competition. And like any competition, everyone loves a tight finish, which Formula One has provided throughout its history. Situations when a thousandth of a second made the difference between being and not being a winner. So here are the tightest race finishes, moments that will stay in history forever. 1986 Spain Grand Prix, 0.014 seconds Everyone thought Ayrton Senna would have no problems winning the race when, with only 10 laps to go, he was 19 seconds ahead of Nigel Mansell. However, the British took advantage of his fresh rubbers and by the last lap he managed to catch up with Senna. Clearly slower, the Brazilian aggressively defended his position and won the race by just 0.014 seconds. Mansell praised Senna’s defense and joked about the race finish, saying both drivers should get 7 and a half points. 2002 United States Grand Prix, 0.011 seconds A few months after the notorious Austrian race, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello were again the main “actors” in a Formula One, but this time the roles were switched. The official story says that Schumacher wanted to finish the race side by side with Barichello, but the Brazilian made an error and slightly overtook the German. However, everyone believes that Schumacher let Barichello win to make up for the Austrian episode. The German was already world champion and this is considered the tightest finish in Formula One history. 1955 British Grand Prix, 0.200 seconds Starting the race from pole position, Stirling Moss lost the leadership in the first lap to his teammate, Juan Manuel Fangio. The British driver managed to get back in first place on the third lap, but the two finished the race “nose by nose”, with Moss winning the race by just 0.200 seconds. During those times, Formula One timers only used tenth of a second, so the official result was 0.2 seconds. 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, 0.182 seconds The race that took place in Spielberg, Austria, more than a decade ago, will probably be remembered as one of Formula One’s ugliest moments, with the entire race being “directed” by Ferrari team orders. Barichello, who was leading the race, was asked by Ferrari to slow down and let Schumacher pass several laps before the finish. But the way he chose to do that, by slowing down only on the last lap, made Ferrari face a wave of criticism for destroying the Formula One spirit. Schumacher won by just 0.182 seconds, making this one of the tightest Formula One finished. This race was also one of the main cause team orders were banned until 2011 when they were reintroduced. 2000 Canadian Grand Prix, 0.174 seconds This was another episode of the Schumacher and Barichello sage (the first one actually). Schumacher was comfortably leading the race, but a problem with his cars allowed Barichello to catch up with him. However, team orders didn’t allow the Brazilian to overtake Schumacher and he finished just 0.174 seconds behind the German. 1954 French Grand Prix, 0.100 seconds In 1954, Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling fought for the lead until the finish line on the Reims-Gueux track. Team orders again interfered and Fangio was the one to win the race, by just 0.100 seconds, consolidating his first place in the drivers’ championship. The same with the 1955 British GP, the exact time gap isn’t known, because timers only used tenth of a second. 1969 Italian Grand Prix, 0.080 seconds Even though it doesn’t count as the tightest finishes in Formula One, the 1969 Monza race held the record for two years for the race with the smallest time gap between first place and fourth place, with the four drivers offering an incredible finish to the race. In a time when Formula One clocks only showed hundreds of a second, the gap between the winner, Jackie Stewart and fourth place, Bruce McLaren was just 0.19 seconds. Driving a Matra Ford, Stewart beat second place, Lotus driver Jochen Rindt by just 0.08 seconds. 1982 Au

The Toyota HiAce possesses great heritage, a vehicle spanning five decades and evolving through five generations. Not always an easy vehicle to categorise due to the many configurations it has seen since its creation in 1967, this sensible and compact MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) has grabbed the attention from custom builders and tuners, a rising trend set to completely transform the HiAce’s quirky character. From a simple ECU chip and tweak, to a full-blown Manga (Japanese comic style) inspiration, the little HiAce has become a blank canvas to create something totally unique. It seems slamming (lowering) a HiAce is popular too, adding to the finished look of added alloy wheels and rear spoiler. If you have windows, simply tint them, and if you don’t, either have custom spray graphics applied, or go for a full-wrap. Despite body kits being scarce, there are some pretty fearsome HiAce’s cruising the streets – if you join a local club or forum, you’ll be surprised at what can be done, especially with enthusiasts producing their own from fibreglass. If you’re not entirely satisfied with just the exterior being modified, then go the whole hog and apply the final ‘Pimp My Ride’ finishing touches. Rip the seats out and replace with reclining full leather armchairs for the ultimate ride. Install the latest technology to watch TV or listen to surround sound audio. The interior rooftop can be customised to give the impression you are sitting in the fuselage of a private jet, not the inside of a modest MPV. So whilst the VW Camper Van has always been loved, faithfully restored to maintain its integrity whilst also given the modern touches, it seems the HiAce has taken it a step further into the future, its fans not happy until it has been transformed into something completely different, a million miles away from 1967 and its tin can predecessors. The post Toyota HiAce Tuning appeared first on Motorward.

It has become a tradition in the automotive world to celebrate anniversaries with one or two special edition models. And so in its 50th anniversary McLaren released special versions of the 12C and 12C Spider models to celebrate the bugger. Thing is, they only get a couple of subtle visual features that are not really that special at all. You get three special colors of Carbon Black, Supernova Silver or heritage McLaren Orange, complemented with carbon fiber detailing, a special front bumper from McLaren Special Operations (MSO) catalog, and some new badges. These models come with a set of bespoke McLaren 50 Ultra Lightweight wheels finished in Satin Black, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear, behind which you will find the new carbon ceramic braking system ith 394x36mm discs at the front, and 380x34mm at the rear. This is the most significant feature of the 50th anniversary special edition package. As for the interior, the most remarkable feature is an anniversary dedication plate on the driver’s door, and you also get full leather upholstery and some nice details such as carbon fiber trims and special floor mats. Each special edition 12C comes with a monogrammed black and silver car cover, limited edition key, carbon fibre presentation key box and a specially commissioned print signed by McLaren Automotive Design Director, Frank Stephenson. Maybe those will help you justify the £196,000 (hardtop) and £215,500 (Spider) price tags. McLaren will build 50 units of each model. No performance upgrades are made to these cars. The post 50 Years of McLaren Celebrated with Special Edition 12C Models appeared first on Motorward.

Left turns are the least feared by new drivers because they are simple to execute and are least likely to bring you in conflict with other traffic. But you must still be cautious because, particularly in towns, you can’t see much of what is in the road you are turning into. Check your mirrors, remembering to look along the passenger side for cyclists and motorcyclists. As you turn, particularly if it is a right-angled turn rather than into a sliproad, your vehicle will slow considerably so the cyclist you’ve just passed could easily catch you up. If you are not sure you can get far enough ahead of him to turn without risking broadsiding him, you’ll have to slow and let him get ahead. If you do that, signal to let him know why you have slowed down: if you’re lucky it might be a rare cyclist who is polite enough to speed up for you. Remember that slowing down is part of the manoeuvre, so signal first. This lets the drivers behind know you will slow down. Look out for pedestrians approaching the road you are turning into. They may not be aware of your intentions or have noticed you approaching from behind and may step out in front of you. Remember that children and other non-drivers may not recognize drivers’ intentions from their changes in speed and road position as another driver would. Be prepared to stop quickly as you turn into narrow town streets because there may be cars parked close to the corner or someone approaching the junction close to its centre line. In general the faster you are going the sooner you should signal, but in urban environments this must be treated with caution. You need to signal early enough to allow others to see and react to it, but not so early that you confuse people. Look at what is between you and your junction. If you signal now, might you make someone think you are turning into the road before? Let’s say there is someone waiting to come out of a filling station just before your turn: might they think you intend to turn into the same station and so pull out? So, we can’t say ‘signal so many metres from the junction’; you must signal in good enough time to inform others but with due regard to the risk of misinforming them if you do not observe the situation before flicking the switch. On wide roads with more than one lane of traffic in each direction, try to move over to the relevant lane far enough back to make two stages of it. So, you check the mirrors, signal and move over, drive along without an indicator for a short way, then mirror, and signal for the turn. That reduces the risk of cutting people up and of not seeing two-wheelers travelling on the other side of the lane you are turning from while giving others time to adjust to your intentions. There is a school of thought that says you should only signal if you can see another road user who needs to be informed. While there may be a case for this on quiet country roads, I think it unwise in town because the more crowded environment makes you more likely to miss someone who needs to know your intention. By signalling every time you maintain a good habit and alert those you can’t see or haven’t noticed, who may be dangerously close to you. The post Learn to Drive – How to Do a Basic Left Turn appeared first on Motorward.

Chevrolet announced the official pricing of the new Spark EV city car, and also revealed a lease plan for those who may find the $27,495 starting price – including $810 destination freight charge – a bit steep. The lease will enables you to run a Spark EV for as low as $199 per month for 36 months. Mind you, $999 is due at lease signing including security deposit (tax, title, license dealer fees extra). With federal tax credit which ranges from $0 to $7,500 – depending on the vehicle – applied, the Spark EV can cost as low as $19,995, which is still a lot for a small hatchback. Now, in some states like California you may also qualify for other state and local tax credits and incentives ranging from $0 to $2,500, bringing the price down to like $17,495. That is still more than an equivalent petrol-powered car, but pretty good for an electric car. Thanks to the Spark Ev’s $150 per month fuel costs – according to EPA – you are looking as at a very cheap car to run here. Cheap it will be, but fun, it probably won’t. The Spark EV has a combined city/highway EPA estimated range of 82 miles when fully charged and an EPA-estimated combined city/highway 119 MPGe fuel economy equivalent. The price you pay for those ratings is shabby performance, limited range, and long charging time. It ain’t easy saving the plant, you know! The post 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV U.S. Pricing Details appeared first on Motorward.

Another giant feather in Elon Musk’s cap: Tesla Motors repays the the entire loan given to them to kick start the business by the Department of Energy in 2010 a whole nine years early. One might say that it is more of a publicity move to show off how good things are going on at Tesla – otherwise who in their right mind would take that kind of money out of business so unnecessarily – but that doesn’t make it any less significant. The loan payment was made today using a portion of the approximately $1 billion in funds raised in last week’s concurrent offerings of common stock and convertible senior notes. Mr. Musk commented: “I would like to thank the Department of Energy and the members of Congress and their staffs that worked hard to create the ATVM program, and particularly the American taxpayer from whom these funds originate,” Launched in 2003 using private funds of the investor, mainly Elon Musk who was looking for a new and innovative way to blew up all his PayPal money, Tesla first launched the Roadster sports car which, great though it was, didn’t quite cut the mustard as a profitable product. But then the Roadster was more of an experiment for Tesla. After that they went on to make electric powertrain for giant car makers like Daimler, and designed and developed heir very own Model S, which turned out to be a huge success. To support Tesla’s efforts in making green electric cars, the DOE then awarded the company with a sizable loan as part of the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program. This is not the same program initiated by the Bush administration to save GM and Chrysler from bankruptcy. What Tesla got was a boost to take things to the next level. They were never in bad financial health, even when they were losing money in lumps. The post Tesla Repays Government Loan Nine Years Early appeared first on Motorward.