It’s been a pretty rough day here in NYC with the rain not cooperating very well for most. Yet, for just the rainy day we came across a great video depicting the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. This video tantalizes your eardrums with some of the greatest engine and exhaust sounds you’ll ever want to hear. Mix that with some awesome sights and you’ll soon be transported to an automotive wonderland. I don’t think there’s anything more you could ask for, when stuck indoors due to the rain. Turn up those speakers and enjoy the rush for some sweet 16 minutes of your life.
Hear a Lusso?
I’m sure we have said this before, here is another car that you’ve got to hear. It’s a symphony to any car lover’s ears. The engine sound alone should help your heart beat quicken. The start of this video is a lovely Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. What makes this video a bit different than others is their ability to capture the true sound of the engine revving freely as the driver gains speed while in a deserted L.A. It really makes you feel as if they took something from the movie “Drive”. Something else we enjoyed from the interview was the owner’s description of the start-up sequence. He even goes on to say that it’s a process that cannot be rushed! If you watch closely at the end you’ll see the driver rush the start-up sequence – what a shame. Otherwise turn up your speakers and let the sound radiate into your entire body. Ferrari Lusso sing us a song.
Attack Fuji Speedway
Here we watch long-time driver Seiji Ara drive a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport around Fuji Speedway. Produced by Japan’s MotorHead Magazine. Nothing more needs to be mentioned… end transmission.
IWC meets Formula 1
Here’s a mouth full: Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month, Ref. IW379201
IWC for 2013 has introduced a series of watches targeting the Formula 1 fans. This all comes with their announcement to partner with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team. It was actually announced in 2012. This partnership was founded on their commitment to push back the boundaries of mechanics and technology.
2013 launches of the new line watches entitled Ingenieur. From this line we will focus on the Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month. Immediately you will see that the watch face draws on inspiration from an F1 steering wheel. The layout mimics the dozens of displays, dials, and buttons all tediously placed within every inch of the steering wheel. And like all things this watch will take some getting used to. The watch face features four “circles” grouped around a central axis. A large number display make it easy for any user to read, but knowing what you’re looking at will take some practice. Luckily the two East and West circles are labeled at the bottom. The 4-year leap year cycle is shown digitally, which basically means the watch is programmed to show February 29th every four years.
The watch is constructed out of titanium aluminide for its strength and appearance. As in motor racing, titanium aluminide is used for pistons and valves: this is because the alloy is lighter and tougher than pure titanium and very well suited to the extreme temperatures generated in the combustion chamber. For IWC, the watch was under construction for three years until the machining process was perfected to build the bezel from this strong metal. The push-buttons, screw heads and the crown and its protective shoulders are made of black ceramic, which is resembles brake rotors from F1 cars. The band for this watch is a black rubber strap with alligator leather inlay.
Another unique feature modeled from a Formula 1 car is the KERS system. In this case, IWC introduced a way for the watch to store energy from advancing he date display every night. Then at the end of the month this stored energy is discharged; which also happens at the end of every year when having to advance the watch date. Interestingly on New Year’s Eve, the five displays begin to move simultaneously to show its complex workings of craftsmanship.
All of this sounds like a pretty amazing watch, right? Well it should. The only downside is this watch comes with a Formula 1 price; $49,700 to be exact. That price makes this watch a true gift for those that can afford it. One will be paying for precision, styling and above all else, craftsmanship which is the same level found within the sport of Formula 1. Man this sport is great.
Porsche RSR is NOW AVAILABLE
Porsche has been hitting their marks this year with the revamped Porsche Boxster and then the newly released Caymen S, which is at the top of everyone’s wish list. Just a few weeks ago they introduced the new GT3. So what can possible be next? How about a ready-to-race car. This is the new 911 RSR based on the latest 991 911 chassis. The entire aim is to return to Le Mans in 2014, entitled Mission 2014. Our Return. Check out their micro site here – Porsche Mission Microsite
Ugh, another item to put on the wish list – straight to the top!
Don’t let us steal the spotlight from Porsche (directly from their press release):
Significant lightweight design for 50th anniversary as Porsche looks to 2013 and 2014 Le Mans
Stuttgart/Atlanta. Porsche has developed a new GT race car for the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the Le Mans 24 Hours. The car was shown this week in full livery for the first time. Also, this week, the company is peeking around the corner to its Le Mans Prototype entry in 2014 with the unveiling of its “Mission 2014″ web site.
New Porsche Le Mans Web Site
Porsche has announced that its “Mission 2014. Our Return” to Le Mans has officially started. While the introduction of the 2013 Porsche 911 RSR (type 991) signals the first factory team to return to Le Mans since 1998, this web site celebrates the first factory team to compete for an overall win there since.
By clicking on http://www.porsche.com/mission2014, you can start Porsche’s journey with a trip back into history. Over the next couple of weeks, Porsche fans can experience the greatest moments of the company’s motorsports history again, hear interviews with the racing legends, see historic picture galleries and read the stories behind our greatest racing victories. Every week, new content will be available so repeat visits are recommended to “Mission 2014. Our Return.” The first episode features Porsche’s overall victories at Le Mans in 1971 and 1976 or an interview with Porsche’s first Le Mans winner, Richard Atwood.
New 2013 Porsche 911 RSR
For 2013, the new 911 RSR race car, running in the WEC LM-GTE class, is characterized by significant lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics. The exceptional vehicle styling honors a very special anniversary: From a bird’s eye perspective, the numbers 50 and 911 are visible. These stand for 50 years of the Porsche 911. The Porsche AG Team Manthey works squad will exclusively field two Porsche 911 RSR race cars in the World Endurance Championship’s 2013 season including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car will not run in a North America series for 2013.
The new 911 RSR, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car, follows in the footsteps of its successful predecessor, the 911 GT3 RSR (type 997). As with the production vehicle, the wheelbase grew by about ten centimeters, or four inches. A new wishbone front suspension replaces the previously used McPherson struts. Another new development from Porsche Motorsport is the particularly lightweight racing gearbox. The six gears are selected via paddles on the steering wheel. The 460 hp, 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine was taken from the predecessor and optimized in detail.
One of the priorities in the development of the new 911 RSR was the more evenly balanced weight distribution. The center of gravity is also significantly lower than that of its predecessor. Carbon fiber played a crucial role in the new design. The front and rear mudguards, front and rear lids, doors, underbody, wheel arches, rear wing, dashboard and center console are constructed from the very light and strong material. Moreover, all windows are made of particularly thin and light polycarbonate. Also contributing to the weight reduction is the lithium-ion battery known from the 911 GT3 road going models.
The look of the new 911 RSR is dominated by the flared mudguards and the deep cooling air intakes at the front. With the new air ducting, the radiator is now centrally-located in the front and even more effective than in the previous model. At the same time, the cockpit air conditioning became more efficient. The quick-change concept of the body parts was specially adapted for endurance racing, allowing for easier maintenance and shorter repair times. The front end, front lid and rear panel are fitted with quick release systems and can be replaced within seconds.
Competing in the Porsche 911 RSR with starting number 92 are Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria), who already shared a cockpit in the 2012 WEC. At the first two races of the season in Silverstone (April 14) and Spa (May 4) as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 22), they will receive support from their works driver colleague Romain Dumas (France). Factory pilots also drive the #91 sister car, with Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Pilet (France) making up a team. In Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans, the duo is joined by Timo Bernhard (Germany).
Photo credit (Porsche.com and Autoblog.com)
Nismo TV Anyone
Yeah we bet you didn’t know. That little (err.. big) in-house tuning company at Nissan decided to have its very on Youtube channel. Don’t believe us?
Try giving this link a click —> Nismo.TV
So what is Nismo TV? It’s a channel dedicated to the motorsport exploits of Nissan’s racing division. Think of it as a behind the scenes view of racing and motorsports covering both the top tier racers and training racers.
Through the use of Nismo TV, Nissan creates an exciting new dimension to Youtube’s existing motor-sport content offering which is fast becoming a valuable genre, according to Julie Kikla of YouTube.
Nissan’s Director of Global Motorsport Darren Cox commented, “”By launching NISMO.TV on YouTube we’re creating a new template for leveraging motorsport content and taking it beyond the purist, on a truly global level. This new relationship with YouTube, like our collaborations with Gazprom Neft and PlayStation, shows what a new generation of motorsport-led marketing will look like.
Let’s see, but we are looking for new ways to bring motorsports to the diehard fans as well as newcomers. It could be the future platform for local club races too.
It’s coming…
Ever since the economic downturn there has been a strategic shift for automotive companies to produce even greater cars for the uber elites. Boy, are they hitting their marks. Here’s one that has really caught our eyes. We’re not really into concept cars, but this one produced by McLaren Automotive is really pushing toward the top of list.
(Source credit: AUSmotive.com)
Wait for the P1. It’s coming…
