NEWS: Red Bull Soapbox Race 2013 Attracts 20,000+ Crowds

More than 20,000 spectators turned out in the glorious sunshine at Alexandra Palace on Sunday – for the surreal, fun Red Bull Soapbox Racing Derby. Back after a nine-year break, the wacky gravity racing event attracted some stella soapboxes – with the winners Team Spit-Phya from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne with their 'Phya-Bird' soapbox, not that winning matters here at all of course!
Seventy teams competed for the ultimate accolade of the UK’s best soapboxers – creators and drivers of vehicles powered by nothing but gravity. They zoomed down a specially constructed 420m course at speeds of up to 52 kilometres per hour, attempting to avoid falling foul of obstacles including tricky steps Apples and Pears and huge jump Big Air – designed to give the teams as tough a ride as possible and ensure crashes galore.
Infiniti Red Bull Racing Principal Christian Horner said of the racing: “It’s been an absolutely fantastic day; the effort from all the participants, the enthusiasm of all the 20,000 people here, a stunning day weather wise… it’s been a perfect afternoon. (It was) an event that only Red Bull could put on!”
The judges, Infiniti Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner; Chief Designer at Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Rob Marshall; street trials pro-rider, Danny MacAskill and Downhill Mountain Biker, Gee Atherton; were looking out for creativity and showmanship as well as speed – and the entrants did not disappoint.
Team Spit-Phya from Newcastle, made up of motorbike engineers; Team Captain Mark Wells, Ian Wride, Greg Seed and Rory Norton, stormed to victory with their soapbox which was inspired by Great British land speed record vehicles.
Team Captain, Mark Wells, said: “The team has worked incredibly hard and we’re all amazed…Genuinely I’m just elated… We were inspired by the old Great British land speed record racers Donald Campbell and John Cobb and we just wanted to celebrate that. I am amazingly proud of this team.”
Judge Gee Atherton said: “The winners were very impressive, the car was absolutely spot on. They had the style and they managed to put a bit of a show on for the crowd at the start. Definitely one of my favourites… and they managed to survive the track as well which is a bonus!”
As if the honour of taking the top spot wasn’t enough, the winners will be given a once-in-a-lifetime tour of the Inifiniti Red Bull Racing Factory. They’ll also get the chance to show off their driving skills on a high-performance racing track.
In second place were London’s The Coffin Dodgers, who have won a day of action-packed fun at a high-performance racing track. The team was made up of ex-undertaker Russell Wynn, David Townsend, Phil Selvey and Arthur Finch. Gee Atherton had particular fondness for the team, saying: “They had a good show, it wasn’t the fastest but they entertained the crowd. It was wild watching them go all the way down – really exciting – I was on the edge of my seat for that one!”
In third place came Minis Rugby coaches from Barnet, Herts: Does My Scrum Look Big in This? The prize for Shuan Fabian, Adrian Heeson, Mike Todd and “Big” Phil Aspinall who coach at Barnet Elizabethan Rugby Football Club is a day’s go-kart racing for 10 people.
Honorable mentions must go to Two Peas in a Cod, who got back in their soapbox and finished even after crashing halfway through the race, and The Bolt Mobile – an incredibly lifelike giant Usain Bolt who was carried over the finishing line by his team.

The Results: Top Ten
1. Team Spit-Phya: The Phya-Bird (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne)
2. Coffin Dodgers (London)
3. Does My Scrum Look Big in This (Barnet, Herts)
4. Bangers and Smash (London)
5. Blue Suede Shoe (Derbyshire)
6. The Runaway Bakers (York)
7. Chariots of Fire (Cobham, Surrey)
8. Get Them to Ze Chopper (London)
9. Millie the Moth (Ashford, Kent)
10. A Piece of Cake (Exeter, Devon)

The 20,000 spectators who flocked to Alexandra Palace were duly rewarded for sticking out the incredibly high trackside temperature as they witnessed a stellar group of adrenaline junkies with nerves of steel complete (if you've never done it, try it - it takes balls!) the downhill course. Other soapboxes taking part in the event included a dung beetle, bunch of asparagus, waterskiing Queen and London tube train.
Infiniti Red Bull Racing entertained the crowds by sending down a replica F1 soapbox down the track, with Team Principal Christian Horner at the wheel. Clearly nervous before starting the race, he said: “No-one told me there were jumps… I might need to change my underwear!”Upon completing his run, during which the soapbox lost both back wheels, Christian concluded: “That was the most scary thing I have ever done in my life!”
Full results and photos can be found at: www.redbullsoapboxrace.co.uk

And you can see a load of ace images on our Facebook page here.

PHOTOS: 69 Hot Images of 20th Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2013

Festival of Speed: Every year you think 'it can't possibly get any bigger or better' and every year – it does. Sun hats off to the gregarious Goodwood, they nailed it good and proper again this year, their 20th stella event – hooray and what what! As per, there was way too much to report on, from the record breaking Mercedes-Benz W196R racer that sold in the Bonhams Auction for a cool £19.6m on Friday, to Peugeot's Pikes Peak slaying 208T16 blitzing the hill on Sunday, with the 405 T16 in hot pursuit – not to mention the various cars that were launched at the event that's rapidly becoming the UK's major manufacturer car show. There's just too much to talk about, so I'm not going to bother! Instead, why not just scan through 69 amazing images of the event by snapper Kevin Bennett (Twitter: @bennett_kevin) on our Facebook page here!
Roll on their 21st party! It's going to get messy!

Oh, and here's one of our highlight moments: Peugeot 406 T16 flame spitting the hill. Even driven gently, it's super aggressive!

See more great videos from the event here.

NEWS: 310bhp Caterham Seven 620R Launches @ Goodwood FOS

Caterham is all set to unleash its "most powerful Seven" – the 310bhp 620R – at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. The supercharged, superlight, sequential-gearbox, open top sportscar will nail 0-60mph in under 2.8s, crack on to 155mph and will act as the new range-topper, seeing off the cult legend that is the R500. Quite a way for the brand to celebrate 40 years of the iconic Seven eh? The car is claimed to "set a new benchmark in outrageous performance" – thanks to its newly-engineered, two-litre supercharged Ford Duratec engine pumping out 310bhp... which is going to be a phenomenal power to weight ratio in a car expected to weigh around 500-550Kg, if its anything like the Superlights Caterham have done before.

Performance will be brisk - especially with the sequential in tow!

And, compared to other new-breed track day toys and weekend warriors, like the £100K+ BAC Mono and the Ariel Atoms, it's pretty good value too – at £49,995 (inc.VAT), for a fully built model, capable of 155mph.

To celebrate the car;s launch at the ace Goodwood Festival of Speed, Caterham F1 Team driver, Charles Pic will blast the 620R up the famous Goodwood hill at the Festival of Speed, as will Caterham F1 Team reserve driver and Caterham Racing GP2 driver, Alexander Rossi.

And a static display of the new car will also feature on Caterham’s Festival of Speed stand, along with other performance vehicles from across the Caterham Group.
Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald, said: “The 620R is the most hardcore production Seven ever built for the road. The R500 claimed its place in motoring history as a benchmark for lightweight sportscar performance but this new vehicle pushes the boundaries even further. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this car for those inexperienced in driving Caterhams, we always ensure that even our fastest cars retain the manageable delivery of power that makes them accessible, despite the daunting statistics.”
The 620R is diametrically opposed to the new ultra-efficient, affordable entry-level Seven that will sit at the opposite end of the range when Caterham unveils it in Autumn this year.
Like all Sevens, the 620R adheres to Caterham’s brand mantra of delivering ‘accessible fun’ and the traditional Caterham minimalistic, lightweight approach to the engineering of the car is ever-present.
As well as producing more horsepower and torque than any previous incarnation of the Seven, the 620R also benefits from several other new enhancements.
The car features a unique gunmetal chassis, an air-flow optimised nose cone and a race-developed cooling package. De Dion rear suspension and wide track front suspension units are complemented by high-performance dampers all round, while the car sits on lightweight, 13” alloy wheels fitted with track-inspired Avon ZZR tyres.
In the cockpit, there are more noticeable improvements, with features including performance-focused instrumentation and ergonomic switchgear.
Meanwhile, carbon fibre interior panels and dash plus carbon fibre race seats and a Q/R race steering wheel complete the sports feel to the interior.
“The Seven 620R is an extreme piece of kit,” concludes Macdonald. “We know there is demand for cars that re-write the rules of performance and, if you’re brave enough to take it on, the 620R will be an enormously rewarding, fun car to pilot.”
While the launch edition of the Seven 620 features the sportier ‘R’ pack, a slightly less hardcore ‘S’ pack, which harnesses all the power of the original but offers a little more accessibility will be launched later this year.
Orders are now being taken for the Caterham Seven 620R, with first deliveries expected later this year.
Please visit http://www.caterham.co.uk or call 01883 333 700 for more information.

And see a whole load of images here.

Want one? We certainly fancy a go! There's life in the very old dog yet then! ;-) 

Caterham Seven 620R

Engine                                     2.0-litre Ford Duratec (supercharged)
Max Power (bhp/rpm)                311bhp @ 7,700rpm
Max Torque (lbs ft/rpm)             219lbsft @ 7,350rpm 
Weight                                      TBC
0-60mph                                   2.79 seconds
Power-to-weight                        TBC
Top Speed                                155mph

 

 

Caterham Seven 620R Specification

Standard equipment

• 2.0-litre Ford Duratec (supercharged)
• 6-speed sequential transmission with flat-shift
• Limited slip differential
• Unique gunmetal chassis
• Carbon-fibre wings
• Air flow optimized nose cone
• Race developed cooling package
• De-Dion rear suspension with high performance dampers
• Wide track front suspension with high performance dampers
• Ventilated front discs and quad piston calipers
• Carbon-fibre interior panels and dash
• Carbon-fibre race seats
• Lightweight 13” alloy wheels with Avon ZZR tyres; 185/55R13 front and 215/55R13 rear
• 4 point race harness
• Q/R Race steering wheel
• High performance focused instrumentation and ergonomic switchgear
• Toggle switch ignition
• Immobiliser
• Sequential shift lights
• Carbon aero screen
• Black pack

Suspension
Front:   Adjustable double wishbone with roll bar
Rear:    De Dion axle located by lower A-frame and Watts linkage

Brakes
Twin circuit split front/rear with low level warning system. Discs front and rear

Steering
Rack and pinion, 1.93 turns lock to lock

Wheels and Tyres
Front 6J x 13” AVON ZZR
Rear 8J x 13” AVON ZZR

NEWS: Suzuki Swift 4x4 Launched

Suzuki have launched a fun, funky, fresh 4x4 version of their popular Swift model – with permanent 4x4 and a 25mmm raised ride height over stock Swift models – priced from £11,516 for the SZ3 spec and £13,116 for the higher-spec SX4 model and available with VAT free until September 30th.
The new soft-road supermini features a peppy 1.2-litre petrol engine and manual gearbox, five doors and a fully automatic and permanent 4WD system, which weighs just 65kg more than an equivalent 2WD model, impressively. CO2 emissions are also low at only 126g/km.
Suzuki say: "We have a strong global heritage for our 4WD models and now, following sales success in Japan as well as several European Countries including Germany and Switzerland, Suzuki is launching the 4x4 Swift in the UK and it goes on sale this month. It is an ideal choice for customers living in rural areas needing additional mobility or for crossing slippery surfaces during winter without owning a larger and more conventional SUV sized vehicle."
Apart from 4x4 badging and a slightly increased body ride height of 25mm the SZ3 grade appears identical to an equivalent SZ3 five door. The SZ4 model has a more rugged appearance and offers extra protection over rough ground by adding front and rear skid plates, black wheel arch extensions and black side skirts.
This new model has a proven and simple fully automatic and permanent 4-wheel drive system which transfers additional torque to the rear wheels when required via a viscous coupling, further enhancing the already highly acclaimed cornering ability of the Swift.
Thanks to the use of small and lightweight components Swift 4x4 is just 65kg heavier than an equivalent 2WD petrol model and emissions are only 10g/km higher at 126g/km.
Included in Suzuki’s recently extended VAT free offers, the 4WD Swift is priced at £11,516 for SZ3 and £13,116 for the higher specified SZ4 model which now includes power folding door mirrors with integral indicators and Daylight Running Lamps as standard equipment.


We reckon it looks like another great value, fun, quirky, funky looking new car from Suzuki – a possible new era Panda 4x4? And we're begging them to make a pepped-up, hot hatch version – loaded with Suzuki's rally pedigree – like their Swift Sport, only with a turbo! Think mini-WRC: Go on. Go on. Go on! Please Suzuki! 

NEWS: Goodwood FOS Update

It's Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend this weekend – set for glorious weather too.
If you need to be reminded why this event is so mega, see our last two reports here and here.
There's an unreal amount going on in this ever-expanding superb event, which you can catch up on here.
One that sticks out is the all-New Range Rover Sport taking on the heroic Vickers Supermarine Spitfire in a challenge organised by FortyOneSix.com, in an event taking place prior to the event as an appetiser – as the two British legends of land and sky engage for the first time in a unique off-road race.
See the video here:


Mike Cross, Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Vehicle Integrity Engineer, was at the wheel of the All-New Range Rover Sport, a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 model with 510 hp on tap. Even though grass is one of the most challenging terrains on which to gain traction, for both acceleration and breaking, Cross still managed to clock a top speed of 130 mph before braking for the mid-race turn.

The turn manoeuvre was helped by the Range Rover Sport’s new Torque Vectoring technology, which contributes to stable and secure cornering by applying appropriate braking to the inside wheels.
Cross explained that Land Rover was pleased to take up the challenge: “The team couldn’t resist the challenge laid down by FortyOneSix.com and to race such a British icon. It’s always difficult to find traction from a standing start on grass, but the Range Rover Sport made a great launch off the line. I was surprised by how bumpy the course was as I accelerated up to 130mph, and of course the other extreme challenge is to brake in time for the turn-around, but the car felt composed throughout the whole run.”
See our Goodwood FOS image gallery here.

NEWS: Bentley Continental GT3 Racer Makes World Debut @ Goodwood FOS & More!

Bentley are bringing their biblically epic Continental GT3 race car to make its world debut at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed – in their biggest presence at the ace hill climb based car show event. Best of all, four-time World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen will drive the breath-taking Continental GT Speed (coupe up the famous Goodwood hill-climb over all three days of the Festival! And as if that wasn't enough... Bentley will also be bringing a Speed 8 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Le Mans win. And there will be a new Flying Spur and the full Bentley range on display the Bentley stand! 

Oh, and did we mention five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell MBE once again donning the Bentley overalls for the event – this year piloting the fastest four-seat convertible in the world – the 202 mph (325 km/h) GT Speed Convertible. With a more dynamic chassis setup, increased power and torque and a host of subtle yet distinctive styling cues, the GT Speed Convertible is the pinnacle of the Continental range. Derek comments: “Coming back to Goodwood with Bentley is always a real honour, and this year I have the pleasure of driving a 616bhp convertible up the infamous hill. 2013 is certain to be a great year for us at the Festival.”
The Continental GT3 will be unveiled on the media stage in the F1 paddock at 10:15 on Friday 12th July, at which point more information about the car will be released. And you can hear all about that and see more pictures here, naturally.

For now, see some more images of the Bentley's on display here.

NEWS: Goodyear Wrangler Off Road Tyre Award & New TreadMax Tyres

Goodyear tyres are having a good week! 

First their heavy-duty, off-road Wrangler rubber has been chosen as the best off-road tyre by readers of the German trade magazine Off Road. It won in the category “Traction Tyres” against 13 others brands and voted for by 75,000 readers.

Goodyear says: "The Wrangler DuraTrac was developed for use in tough terrain. The varying width of the shoulder blocks, not only longitudinal but also laterally, allows the Wrangler DuraTrac to break up certain surfaces, especially loamy ones, more easily, blazing a trail time and again." 

“With the Goodyear traction tyre, robust off-road vehicles can handle even challenging off-road terrain on rocky surfaces,” said Holger Rehberg, Goodyear Product.

Additionally, Goodyear has also just introduced two new Retreads – the Marathon Coach and Ultra Grip Coach Tyres, the very latest coach tyres now available in TreadMax range.

The TreadMax Marathon Coach all position tyre and TreadMax UltraGrip Coach winter drive

tyre are now both available in size 295/80R22.5 as moldcure retreads.
The TreadMax products, which have the same tread pattern, compound and features as new tyres, have been developed following the "Multiple Life Concept" approach. This allows coach operators to make full use of their tyre assets, for reduced cost per km, without compromising on tyre performance. The tyres feature a combination of technologies, called TravelMax, which include Silefex tread compound and an asymmetric design, to extend mileage in particular.
The Marathon Coach is an all position tyre for year-round use. Its unique asymmetric design offers excellent even wear and mileage with a high comfort level. Uneven tyre wear has been a serious problem for tyres on modern coaches, resulting in reduced tyre life. The asymmetric design, which Goodyear has developed specifically for the Marathon Coach tyre, addresses this problem.
The Ultra Grip Coach is a specific winter drive tyre with enhanced snow traction. This tyre is of particular benefit for coaches that operate in areas such as the Nordic Countries and in Alpine regions. The tread design and width give it excellent grip and traction in winter conditions and also low noise levels, which means enhanced passenger comfort.
Goodyear says: "These new tyres are part of the Goodyear comprehensive range of premium moldcure retread products. TreadMax retreads are all manufactured by us in our own facilities using the moldcure process. This is the highest level of quality in retreading, which sees the tyres, after minute examination and preparation, undergoing the retread process using virtually identical tread compounds and patterns to new tyres. This is done using a bead-to-bead process, almost identical to that used in the production of new tyres."
TreadMax Marathon Coach and Ultra Grip Coach moldcure retreads are available in size 295/80R22.5 and are regroovable for maximum life and economy.

 TreadMax Marathon Coach

Ultra Grip Coach