Mk2 Ford Escort RS2000 rally car.

John Surtees dies at 83.

"Only man to win Formula 1 and motorcycle world championships."

John Surtees, a Formula One great who won the 1964 championship with Ferrari and remains the only man to win world titles on two wheels and four, has died at the age of 83, his family said in a statement.

The Briton won his four 500cc and three 350cc motorcycling world titles with Italian marque MV Agusta between 1956 and 1960.

Surtees was admitted to hospital in London last month with a respiratory condition and passed away on Friday after a short period in intensive care, the family said.

“We deeply mourn the loss of such an incredible, kind and loving man as well as celebrate his amazing life. He has set a very real example of someone who kept pushing himself at his peak and one who continued fighting until the very end,” the statement said.

The statement was released through the Henry Surtees Foundation, established after the driver’s son was killed by a bouncing wheel that hit his head during a Formula Two race at Brands Hatch in 2009. Tributes poured in for a man who excelled at a time when motorcycling and grand prix racing was at its most deadly, with Ferrari hailing a ‘motorsport legend” with a black and white photograph of Surtees and team founder Enzo Ferrari.

“Today the F1 family lost one of its all-time greats,” said the official F1 website.

“He was a legend of the sport, a lovely guy who did so much,” three-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton said. “It’s a shock to everyone.”

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen, who won the 2007 F1 title with Ferrari, spoke fondly of Surtees.

“I met him a few times, he was very easy-going,” the Finnish driver said. “You could tell that he had passion for racing in his blood.”

Surtees, whose father Jack was a national motorcycle sidecar champion, raced in both Formula One and motorcycling in 1960, when he also won the Isle of Man TT. Known in his later years for forthright opinions on motorsport and an equally direct gaze, the Briton later fell out with Ferrari.

“Mr Ferrari agreed with me at the end, just before he died actually, that we’d both made a bit of a mistake in that we’d lost probably championships together with the parting that we did in 1966,” he told Reuters in a 2014 interview. In 1960 Lotus boss Colin Chapman wanted Surtees as his No.1 driver but the place ultimately went to compatriot Jim Clark, for some the greatest driver of all time. Clark would go on to win the championship in 1963 and 1965 while Surtees beat Graham Hill by a single point in 1964 thanks to a scoring system that counted only the best six results.

Source: http://www.ntnews.com.au

The Fate of the Furious - Official Trailer #2

The Fate of the Furious has just dropped a new trailer! The eighth installment in the high-octane feature franchise splits up the family in unexpected ways and takes the gang on a globe-trotting adventure that includes Cuba, New York City, and even Antarctica.

I keep waiting to see if this franchise will run out of gas, but it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. And in terms of the big, dumb action that people show up for, it’s got what you want: cars raining down into the streets, Hobbs doing stuff that only Hobbs can do, etc. But from a plot perspective, there’s some cringe-worthy stuff. For starters, it’s pulling a Spectre where it turns out that all of the bad things in the previous movies were done by the villain of this movie! Mythology made easy! Also, are we really supposed to believe that for a team that supposedly cares about family, they’re going to work with Shaw even though he killed Han? Then again, expecting consistency from Fast & Furious is like expecting acting range from Vin Diesel. It’s not what you came for.

Check out the new trailer below. The Fate of the Furious stars Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Helen Mirren, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Ptaky, Scott Eastwood, and Kurt Russell, and opens in theaters on April 14th.

Source: http://collider.com

Bentley points to next-gen sports car with Geneva concept.

This could be Bentley's next sports car. Except it isn't, at least officially. Instead, the car before you is Bentley's EXP 12 Speed 6e concept, a statement designed to capture the attention of enthusiasts at the 2017 Geneva motor show.

While it's not ready for production, Bentley says the concept showcases the future of its interior and exterior design direction - which means you can expect its styling to feature on the next Continental coupe and convertible.

The classically handsome roadster features smooth lines and elegant proportions, along with exquisite details that blend classic and modern elements with a range of materials including copper and rich red leather. 

 The two-seat vision for the future could point to a more compact, engaging sports car to rival the likes of Porsche's 911. But what we know for sure is is that this car is an expression of Bentley's electric intent. The concept promises inductive charging, a useful range and stirring performance likely to come from hardware shared with Volkswagen Group products such as Porsche's upcoming Mission E Tesla fighter.

Bentley chair Wolfgang Dürheimer says the brand wants to hear from customers about the potential for an electric sports car.

"The EXP 12 Speed 6e is a concept to show that Bentley is defining electric motoring in the luxury sector, with the appropriate technology, high quality materials and refinement levels you'd expect from a true Bentley. This concept enables us to engage with luxury customers and gather feedback on our approach," he said.

"Bentley is committed to offering an electric model in its future portfolio and we are interested to receive feedback on this concept."

Article by David McCowen

Source: http://www.drive.com.au

Topgear Season 24 Episode 1.

Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid return for the 24th series of Top Gear. This week features the astonishing, ultra-exclusive Ferrari FXXK, tested to the max by Chris Harris at the Daytona circuit in Florida. Matt, Chris and Rory then race across Kazakhstan in three high-mileage cars: a Mercedes saloon, a Volvo estate and a London taxi, all of which have done atleast 480,000 miles, the equivalent distance of going to the moon and back. Actor James Mcavoy guest stars in the studio and the famous Topgear test track.

Range Rover Velar points to an evolved design language.

One glance at the all-new Range Rover Velar, and it’s clear Land Rover is previewing an evolved design language destined for the wider line-up.

Chief Design Director at Land Rover, Gerry McGovern, talks about filling the ‘white space’ between Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport – but he also talks about a process of ‘reductionism’, which he says, “is a discipline faithful to the original Range Rover, but enabled by the very latest thinking in design, precision engineering and technology.” Features of the exterior include super-slim Matrix-Laser LED headlights, flush deployable door handles and burnished, copper-coloured detailing.

There’s a new, state-of-the-art Touch Pro Duo infotainment system in the centre of the cabin that does away with almost all the usual switchgear. In its place are two high-definition 10-inch touchscreens, complete with two multifunctional rotary dials, which mirror the minimalist approach to the Velar’s exterior design. On SE models and above, there’s a 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster behind the steering wheel with four visual themes, including a full-screen 3D navigation display. Key information such as speed, navigation instructions and active safety system warnings can also be displayed using the latest-generation full-colour head-up display. But on the Velar, the virtual images projected onto the windscreen appear to hover a couple of metres in front of the driver.

Moreover, the steering wheel features capacitive switches, which allow the driver to program specific functions without removing hands from the wheel.

The Velar also offers a Premium Textile sustainable interior alongside the more traditional leather upholstery. Developed with Danish fabric specialist Kvadrat, this unique textile combines a highly durable wool-blend fabric with a technical suede cloth made from recycled materials included plastic bottles. It’s an interior (in terms of colour and materials) that’s like no other we’ve seen in a Range Rover. It’s also industry leading, according to Amy Frascella, Chief Designer Colour and Materials at Land Rover.

“With the Velar, we wanted to challenge the traditional conventions on luxury materials. When we began designing and developing materials for Velar three years ago, we began to see a shift in the customer landscape. People are focused on wellbeing, sustainability and provenance of materials, as well as how these things are made,” Frascella says.

“Beauty and functionality – all these things are important to them, so our collaboration with Kvadrat, Europe’s leading manufacturer of premium materials, was a perfect fit for Range Rover.”

“These days, designers of automotive cabins look to the likes of furniture, fashion, performance sports and consumer electronics, and Kvadrat’s textiles are used by many high-end furniture brands, and we wanted to bring some of this premium tailoring into the Velar’s cockpit – because furniture can be just like car seats.”

“But it was more than just about new materials; it was about moving the Range Rover DNA forward. This is a new Range Rover for a new customer. And when you look and feel the materials on the Velar from any angle (inside and out), every single element on the vehicle is speaking the same language.”

Article by Anthony Crawford

Source: http://www.caradvice.com.au

The Dakar: Return to Africa.

 

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Why you need to join a car club.

A fire extinguisher is one of those must-have items in any car, whether it be classic or modern. Especially when it’s your own car that catches fire and there’s no sign of any help.

Recently, I witnessed someone’s pride and joy catch fire, and I know this sounds strange, but I was impressed by what I saw.

My local car club was on a road trip with 20 other cars when smoke began pouring out of the back of an old blue Volkswagen Beetle. The car pulled over straight away and the driver jumped out with his fire extinguisher. Watching from further down the convoy, I witnessed every single VW owner stop and race towards the car also with fire extinguishers in hand. While some stood back in horror, others were getting completely covered in powder trying to extinguish the flames. Thankfully the fire was put out quickly, with little to no damage. A loose fuel line was the culprit. For the rest of the trip, I was wondering what the situation would’ve been like if it wasn’t for all those members – and their extinguishers – lending a quick helping hand.

Owning a car, especially a ‘classic’, isn’t just about working on it and then driving it. It’s the people keeping the passion of the brand, the car, alive. As an avid Volkswagen devote and owner, when I moved to Melbourne to join CarAdvice, I joined the Volkswagen Club of Victoria. Soon after, I became a committee member and to be honest, I wish I had done it sooner, because for the last 13 years, I was driving my classics thinking my car life couldn’t get any better. Oh, how wrong I was. Before joining the club, I used to drive to car shows on my own and would then walk around admiring the other classics on display. I’d sit next to my car as if it was my partner for the day.

When I had a small problem with my Beetle, I would spend hours scrolling through countless online forums and YouTube videos searching for a solution, and most of the time not finding the answer. And there were a few times that I was broken down and stuck on the side of the road needing Dad to come rescue me. I just accepted it as part of car life, but after joining a club, I soon realized there’s another car life that’s far more enjoyable.

Now, I am driving to car shows in a convoy of other enthusiasts, and stopping for coffee breaks along the way to talk about the latest accessory added to someone’s car. When there’s an issue with my ‘Dub’, I now look to members with the know-how and experience who happily answer my questions in a heartbeat. And luckily, I haven’t broken down yet, but there’s always safety in numbers if it does happen, just like our friends in the blue Beetle. But joining a car club is not just about having an endless stream of technical and mechanical know-how on tap. There are many other reasons that make it worthwhile. The social calendar is always full, with some fun events. Dress-up nights, mechanic workshops days, a nice dinner or a simple coffee meeting. Really, at its heart, it’s an excuse to get together to talk cars. And who would say no to that?

Most clubs also have a standout event that is organised by the club, and every member is asked to help out. Even though it might be hard work at the time, you reap the rewards at the end of the day when you see the number of cars in attendance, the happy faces of their owners and not to mention, the money raised for the club.

Some clubs are small, and some are big, but every club needs that money to survive. Those funds go into a lot of things, like the publication of a newsletter, hiring a location or for a social event. More often than not, money is donated to local charities too, which really makes you feel proud to be a part of something.

It’s always important to attend the monthly meetings, where you catch up on any future events. Even though clubs are more connected through social media now, it also gives you the chance to meet new people or to catch up with old friends. And if you want to take it a step further and get really involved, join the committee, where you will be much closer to the action and can help the club move forward. You just never know how your expertise could help the club out.

So, if you’ve been thinking about joining a car club, I sincerely urge you to. You will make some lifelong friends and it will literally give you a new lease on your car life. And if your classic ever goes up in flames on an event, there will be dozens of people with fire extinguishers at the ready.

Article by Mandy Turner

Source: http://www.caradvice.com.au

Katukurunda 2017 Drags.

A message from Jeremy Clarkson: DRIVETRIBE .

Published on Nov 21, 2016

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May invite you to DRIVETRIBE - the new home of epic motoring and pulse-racing adventure. Over 20,000 tribes and half a million videos, stories and posts. All yours at DRIVETRIBE.com.

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Rolls-Royce Has Built A One-Off Electric Toy Car For A Children's Hospital.

Good guy Rolls-Royce has produced a stunning little miniature car and donated it to a specialist children's unit at a hospital close to its Good-wood factory.

How’s this for a feel-good story to brighten up your hump day? Rolls-Royce has donated a unique, electric-powered toy car to a children’s hospital unit. The miniature motor, dubbed the SRH after its new home St Richard’s Hospital, runs on a small battery and has enough power for a top speed of 10mph, but that can be restricted to as low as walking pace, or 4mph.

Around 400 hours of work went into crafting the brilliant little thing, including the striking two-tone blue and silver coachwork and classy red leather upholstery. It has the proper Spirit of Ecstasy over the front grille, and the red and silver accents are carried over to the wheels. St Richard’s, in Chichester, is based not far from Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood home. The SRH will see service with the children in the paediatric ward there, many of whom have long-term illnesses.

Two of those kids took over from company CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos to drive the car alongside the production line – a ceremonial sign-off job normally reserved for the boss alone. Mr Muller-Otvos said:

“We are a proud member of the community here in West Sussex. We hope the Rolls-Royce SRH will serve to make the experience for young people during treatment a little less stressful.”
What a genuinely sweet thing to do. Hats off to Rolls for this one!

Article by Matt Kimberley.

Source: www.carthrottle.com