In this Volvo R-Design and Polestar special of Road Magazine, we test & report on some seriously hot road and race Volvos: Ballistic 329bhp V60 T6, 250bhp hot hatch C30 T5 & the 215bhp all-conquering XC60 D5. And Ashley Van Dyke follows the K-Pax S60's at the Pirelli World Challenge, Mid-Ohio. Sorted swedes... you bet your last Krona! Please like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roadmagblog, follow us on Twitter @roadmagazine and share this FREE publication with your friends and family. Thanks, Road Editor, Phil Royle.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Project Cars: E92 BMW 335i Twin Turbo
Meet the latest project car for Team Road – Andy Robinson's E92 BMW 335i Twin Turbo. Regulars may remember Andy's bonkers fast 1100bhp Evo drag monster in the Tim Schrick special: http://issuu.com/roadonlinemagazine/docs/road_17. This is his latest road car project... and he's already got started with the modifications – ECU and induction kits. Read all about it here: http://www.roadmagazine.co.uk/2012/08/29/project-335i-introduction-stage-1-tune/, and see more on the blog, website, Twitter (@roadmagazine) and www.facebook.com/roadmagblog soon...
NEWS: Silverstone Motorsport UK LIve Show, Nov 3-4th
Silverstone Motorsport UK, the live motorsport show that showcases all categories of national motorsport – 3rd& 4th November 2012 – is shaping up to be an event not to be missed, with the show confirming several new attractions. This year’s event will allow visitors to sample the action first hand, either on the Stowe circuit with the Silverstone driving experience, which has teamed up with Silverstone Motorsport UK to offer visitors the chance to receive a discount if they pre-book. Alternatively, visitors can take part in the Go Motorsport kart challenge, where they can battle for a selection of prizes. In addition to these exciting driving elements, visitors will be able to enjoy race simulators and even compete in a series of radio control races organised by the British Radio Control Association. Martin Capenhurst comments: "This year’s event is shaping up really well, and it looks like it is not to be missed! The live elements have really made the event extremely interactive, so visitors can really get involved and have a go! The promotion for this year’s show is on schedule and I believe that we will beat our target of attracting 4,000 visitors over the two days."
Richard Phillips, Director of Silverstone Circuits comments: "We are delighted with how the inaugural Silverstone Motorsport UK event is shaping up. There is no doubt that this event is going to be a great way for enthusiasts and competitors to come together to sample the best of British motorsport."
In addition to the live elements, Silverstone Motorsport UK will host more than 100 companies from the world of motorsport. Exhibitors include some of the UK’s largest motorsport championships, key suppliers and the event will see the announcement of the first Spirit of Motorsport award winners, who will share a £10,000 prize fund, courtesy of high performance oil and lubricant manufacturer RAVENOL. In addition Silverstone Motorsport UK has recently confirmed the backing of three new media partners which now sees the event promoted by 12 key publications from the motorsport and automotive sector. Capenhurst adds: "I am delighted to have gathered so much support from our event partners and event media partners. All of our agreements are long term, as we are keen to build a foundation for the future, as Silverstone MotorSport UK is here to stay!"
Current exhibitors include TrackDriver magazine, Go Motorsport, 360 Motor Racing Club, Motors TV, RAVENOL, British Radio Control Association and Racelogic. For further information on Silverstone MotorSport UK visit www.motorsportshow.co.uk. See Team Road – event sponsors – there too...
Friday, August 24, 2012
BLOG FEATURE: Bentley Mulsanne 7-litre V8 Twin Turbo
Talented motoring journalist, Richard Barnett gives the new Bentley Mulsanne a run for its big money:
"Editor Phil said I had up to 500 words to review the Bentley Mulsanne, but I think you could do it on the number of fingers on one hand: big, rapid, luxurious, stunning. And that leaves the thumb out. Word count aside, Bentley’s top-of-the-tree luxury saloon, which sits above the Continental Flying Spur, actively replicates those pre-war Bentleys that built the maker’s reputation for mixing power with a finely-appointed interior.
And in the Mulsanne the power certainly does the talking: mash that heavily-sprung accelerator pedal to unleash the twin turbo'd, seven-litre V8’s power onto that unsuspecting tarmac.
Being rear-wheel drive the ‘sanne feels less friction-constrained than the four-wheel drive Continental. The seven-speed automatic is almost seamless, but to be that good at changes up and down the range would take away the fact that despite its size, this is a car that the owner should be driving, rather than reclining in the back keeping an eye on share values or who’s giving the best odds at Haydock Park that afternoon.
In many ways the Mulsanne is a dual-personality car: yes, it’s highly luxurious: but then again, it’s seriously rapid, but in a way that lacks the urgency of its lower-priced Continental siblings.
However, along with that seriously grin-inducing straight-line performance the Mulsanne is very, very composed through the bends. Thanks to its 22-inch Dunlop Maxx treads grip is unsurpassed and even on wet muddy country roads it simply sticks to the tarmac, leaving you to enjoy the well-composed, gently-weighted steering.
And while the performance is good, the stopping is up to par as well. The brakes are nicely balanced and have a very good, progressive feel that adds to the driving pleasure.
Meanwhile for the passengers there’s plenty of room and plenty of fittings to make each and every journey an occasion. Acres of wood and leather of course recall the Bentleys of years gone by but the way the interior is put together is first rate, the only other car getting near to it (other than the Continental) being Jaguar’s current XJ saloon.
And when it comes to the power game, a car’s appearance doesn’t have to have the desperate cry of ‘look at me’. The Mulsanne is B-I-G, and there’s no getting away from that. But what’s pleasing is that its looks won’t date rapidly and in the same way the 1981-1996 Bentley Eight /Turbo R still looks great, in 10-15 years the current Mulsanne will too.
Successfully blending old-school Bentley traits with new technology, the Mulsanne is King of the Castle in luxury saloons. Power, luxury, room and great looks. In the top-flight super saloon echelons no rapid four-door can best the Bentley…."
In many ways the Mulsanne is a dual-personality car: yes, it’s highly luxurious: but then again, it’s seriously rapid, but in a way that lacks the urgency of its lower-priced Continental siblings.
However, along with that seriously grin-inducing straight-line performance the Mulsanne is very, very composed through the bends. Thanks to its 22-inch Dunlop Maxx treads grip is unsurpassed and even on wet muddy country roads it simply sticks to the tarmac, leaving you to enjoy the well-composed, gently-weighted steering.
And while the performance is good, the stopping is up to par as well. The brakes are nicely balanced and have a very good, progressive feel that adds to the driving pleasure.
Meanwhile for the passengers there’s plenty of room and plenty of fittings to make each and every journey an occasion. Acres of wood and leather of course recall the Bentleys of years gone by but the way the interior is put together is first rate, the only other car getting near to it (other than the Continental) being Jaguar’s current XJ saloon.
And when it comes to the power game, a car’s appearance doesn’t have to have the desperate cry of ‘look at me’. The Mulsanne is B-I-G, and there’s no getting away from that. But what’s pleasing is that its looks won’t date rapidly and in the same way the 1981-1996 Bentley Eight /Turbo R still looks great, in 10-15 years the current Mulsanne will too.
Successfully blending old-school Bentley traits with new technology, the Mulsanne is King of the Castle in luxury saloons. Power, luxury, room and great looks. In the top-flight super saloon echelons no rapid four-door can best the Bentley…."
Great job Richy, thanks a million pal. When you getting yours?
See more of Richy's images on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/roadmagblog
VIDEO: WRC 2012 Germany Preview
It's the 30th anniversary of Rally Germany this weekend, and the 10th time the tarmac event has been run in the WRC calendar. Super-Seb Loeb has won the event a massive eight times, in a row... but super-Seb Ogier robbed that off Loeb last year, so what will happen this year? Can the Scandinavian drivers in their Fords challenge the French drivers in their Citroens? The smart money says no... but, as Didier Auriol used to say: "You can never count on anything... it's rallying, no!" Friday sees the stages blast through the vineyards, on fast flowing roads. Saturday is on the painful airfields, with their tyre-shredding tarmac and lethal hinklesteins and Sunday is a sprint day, with final power stage through Trier. Bring it on!
Monday, August 20, 2012
VIDEO: "Monster" Tajima @ Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, EV-style
The wonderful, weird-sounding, wacky-fast world of EV motorsport is here to stay, so get used to it folks... and here's something that should help make it sexy – GoPro superhero Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima aiming to beat his record of 9:51.278 in his all electric hill climb car in the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado Springs. This is his qualifying run from Friday on the 12-mile crazy hill climb course of all hill climb courses. Ok, it's not Walter Rohrl in a turbocharged, flame-spitting T16, but hey... life moves on and this is still scary, skilled stuff...
The video was shot on the new HD HERO2® camera from http://GoPro.com. Check out pals at DogCam for offers: http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
NEWS: Toyota GT86 Scores First Motorsport Victory
Toyota’s exciting new GT86 sport coupe has claimed its first UK motorsport victory – winning the third round of the Toyota Sprint Series at Barkston Heath on Sunday 12 August. Driven and prepared by Adrian Smith of Fensport (http://www.fensport.co.uk) in conjunction with Autocar magazine, the car was competing in the Toyota-sponsored event for the first time and duly won both its class and the event overall. It was also a first win for a rear wheel drive car with a normally aspirated engine since the series began in 2007. Fensport boss, Adrian Smith posted the quickest time of 54.55 seconds around the 0.75-mile Lincolnshire course, six hundredths of a second quicker than the second placed, heavily modified Celica GT-Four ST205 of Iain Gard. Third place went to Autocar’s Steve Sutcliffe who co-drove the GT86 with Smith.
The GT86 used a standard 2.0-litre “boxer” engine and unmodified six-speed gearbox. The only changes made to the road car specification were the suspension, wheels and track tyres. To save weight the interior was stripped out and fitted with a racing seat.
The GT86 was lined up against a range of standard and modified Toyotas, and its winning time demonstrates the rewards drivers can enjoy from the car’s essential qualities of light weight, agility and strong grip – elements that Toyota made priorities in its development programme.
A great deal of preparation took place very quickly by Smith and his team at Fensport to prepare for the event as the GT86 only went on sale this month in the UK.
Smith said: "Driving the GT86 for the first time on track was an absolute joy, the car has responded so well to our modifications and has proved to be a very capable and extremely well handling package. I am really looking forward to further development of the car and hope to repeat our initial success."
With further development planned for the car, Smith hopes to maintain this winning streak at Croft on 16 September and Snetterton on 20 October. The Toyota Sprint Series is open to all Toyota vehicles, from standard road-going models to highly modified cars, each competing in their own class against the clock on a series of timed runs. For more details visit www.toyotasprint.com.
This win celebrates the start of GT86 participation in motorsport with Toyota (GB) entering a car in this year’s Britcar 24 hour race at Silverstone from the 21 to the 23 September. The GT86 is available to buy now from Toyota Centres and is priced from £24,995 on the road.
Find out more about the GT86 racer at: http://www.facebook.com/Fensport & look forward to our road test of the GT86 in www.roadmagazine.co.uk Toyota and Lexus special this Autumn.
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