Categories
Renault

Renault Clio RS 200 EDC here in time for Christmas

Renault RS 200 EDC

Renault Australia is shouting from the rooftops that its latest hot hatch, the Clio RS 200 EDC, will be on sale locally in December. Even better, for fans of feisty frogs, the hot Clio will be priced from $28,790 (Sport chassis).

The Cup chassis will also be offered for sale, although, full pricing details are yet to be announced. A sub-$30K price point just shows how competitive the performance hatchback market has become.

“Australia is currently the second highest selling country in the world for the award-winning Megane RS 265 and we are confident that the new Clio RS 200 EDC will bring more people to the Renault Sport family than ever before,” said Justin Hocevar, Managing Director Renault Australia.

“We have a highly competitive entry price for the new Clio RS and have already received strong demand for the latest Renault Sport vehicle in the Australia market.”

Full specs on the 147kW/240Nm RS 200 EDC can be read HERE and Renault Australia’s press release about the arrival of the car is available below.

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Categories
Formula 1

Unless I’m very much mistaken

Murray Walker

Unless I’m very much mistaken today is Murray Walker‘s 90th birthday. And yes I am very much mistaken, because the commentary legend’s birthday was yesterday. But with the time difference between Australia and Europe I’m sure you can forgive us.

When I began following Formula 1 in the mid-1980s Murray Walker’s enthusiasm behind the microphone was definitely part of what attracted me to the category. His faux pas were well known, and indeed well loved.

To celebrate Murray’s birthday there’s a selection of videos to help us remember what makes him so great.

[Pic: Getty Images]

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Ferrari Video

Chris Harris buys some bread

Chris Harris in his Ferrari 512 TR

In his latest video Chris Harris shows us how he used his Ferrari 512 TR to buy some bread. As you can see, he even hams it up in a white linen suit to complete the Miami Vice look. Explaining his lack of talking, Harris notes: “When a car looks and sounds as good as this, you don’t need to talk.”

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News

Black cabs need sunshine too!

London Taxi

London is well known for many things, its black cabs just one of the iconic images from the English capital. More broadly, England is also known for its sun-deprived citizens emigrating to Australia in the search for sun, surf and a better lifestyle. Well, now even the London Taxi is getting on the act and heading down under.

A fleet of 98 Black cabs (TX4s) is heading to Perth—where else—as part of a four-year trial. A further 200 London Taxis are planned to be sent to Australia, too, and so we don’t get them confused the Aussie-bound London Taxis will be wearing white zinc cream to protect them from the sun.

“They’re white, which is probably better in a hot climate, but they are also specifically hot-climate vehicles. They have different ventilation to make sure they don’t overheat,” a spokeswoman for The London Taxi Company told the ABC.

The Western Australian Government is subsidising the rollout of the London Taxis and Victoria could be next, as Evan Simeon, Chief Executive of The London Taxi Company (Aust) Limited explains: “Perth drivers will receive a government-funded package, which in return for vehicle and usage data, will see them reimbursed for the normal weekly licence fee of AUS$200 for the first four years of ownership. This basically means that they will recoup most of the total cost of the vehicle.

“Victoria has already announced that they will provide a subsidy of AUS$20,000 per vehicle for the first fifty permit holders, so we hope that we’ll be able to bring a bit of London to South-East Australia too.”

More detail can be found after the break.

[Source: London Taxi Company | Pic (above): AFP/Getty Images]

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Categories
Ferrari Formula 1 McLaren

Emerson Fittipaldi on the 1976 Japanese GP

1976 Japanese Grand Prix

Former McLaren F1 driver and 1974 World Champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, gives us a fascinating insight into the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix courtesy of a blog shared on the McLaren website. Of course, the season-ending race at Fuji Speedway has become the focus of mainstream attention thanks to Ron Howard’s F1 movie Rush.

The conditions for that race, the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in Asia, were appalling as Fittipaldi explains:

On race day, though, everything we’d learned over the past few days became irrelevant as the heavens opened. Never before or since, in my entire racing career, have I known rain quite as fierce. The circuit was totally flooded, its flat wide asphalt covered in lakes of sitting water. It was patently unsafe. In those days we used to do a morning warm-up on race day—and the accidents that marred the Fuji warm-up made it very clear that the rain had made the circuit quite undriveable.

Fittipaldi goes on to share his thoughts over the decision to start the race, even though conditions had not improved after a 90-minute delay. He also discusses many other aspects about his F1 career and gives a big vote of confidence to Rush as well. We recommend you take the time to read his words (follow the source link below).

[Source: McLaren]

Categories
BMW

BMW M235i specs leaked

BMw M235i spied

Bimmerpost brings word of the specifications for the forthcoming F22 BMW 2 Series Coupé, notably the M235i. Also included are specs for the 220i and 220d.

The data came via the BMW South Africa website which means we can take it as being accurate. Here’s the key stats, and after the break you can see screen grabs.

BMW M235i
Power/torque: 240kW @ 5800rpm / 450Nm @ 1300–4500rpm
Engine: 2979cc six cylinder turbo (N55B30O0)
Weight (unladen): 1455kg (manual), 1470kg (auto)
0–100km/h: 5.0s (manual), 4.8s (auto)
0–1000m: 23.8s

BMW 220i
Power/torque: 135kW @ 5000rpm / 270Nm @ 1250–4500rpm
Engine: 1997cc four cylinder turbo (N20B20U0)
Weight (unladen): 1350kg (manual), 1365kg (auto)
0–100km/h: 7.0s
0–1000m: 27.3s (manual), 27.7s (auto)

BMW 220d
Power/torque: 135kW @ 4000rpm / 380Nm @ 1750–2750rpm
Engine: 1995cc four cylinder diesel (N47D20O1)
Weight (unladen): 1375kg (manual), 1390kg (auto)
0–100km/h: 7.2s (manual), 7.1s (auto)
0–1000m: 27.5s (manual), 27.4s (auto)

For those playing at home they’ll been keen to note a small 5kW increase for the M235i compared with the M135i, which brings a very slight performance benefit too, shaving 0.1s off the claimed 0-100km/h times.

[Source: Bimmerpost | Thanks to John for the tip]

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Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

How to make an F1 car: part 4

How to make an F1 car, part 4

Here’s the final episode in Red Bull Racing’s four-part look at how they made their soon to be championship winning RB9.

It’s all about assembly this week and while there’s not a lot of nuts and bolts shown we do get an insight into the massive behind the scenes operation a leading Formula 1 team is these days. It’s quite staggering to see the lengths teams go to to ensure each component is ready for assembly and competition.

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Categories
BMW

BMW 4 Series convertible given unofficial preview

BMW 4 Series convertible

BMW’s F33 4 Series convertible has been given an early viewing thanks to a series of images leaked by a Belgian source. Based on the F32 4 Series coupé there’s no real surprises here and you’ll get your official look at BMW’s latest convertible at the LA Auto Show next month.

Although, don’t be surprised if Munich responds in the next day or two with official images and information.

Like the old 3 Series convertible the 4 Series version sticks with a metal folding roof and Australian buyers should probably look towards the coupé for an idea of the likely engine line up and specs.

[Source: BMW Blog]

Categories
News

Is Ricky Muir’s political career about to conk out?

Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party website screen grab

It’s just over a week since it became clear Ricky Muir had won a federal senate seat for Victoria under the banner of the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party (AMEP). But already fractures are showing after the AMEP national executive sacked its Victorian executive on the weekend. Fairfax media reports:

The Queensland-based founders of the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party have sacked the leadership of the Victorian arm of the party—effectively leaving the 32 year-old media-shy father of five representing a party that does not currently exist in that state.

That move was explained by Tony Standfield, AMEP chairman, as being necessary because: “The welfare of the AMEP has been compromised by sending conflicting messages to the public regarding AMEP’s opinion and stance on Road Safety initiatives.”

Further to that, Keith Littler, AMEP secretary, said: “The Victorian Federal State Executive has not been acting in the best interests of the party or the Senator-elect.”

That all sounds fair enough. However, the now former chairman of the Victorian executive, Scott McDonald, tells a different story: “They won’t allow Ricky to talk to anybody about anything. Not even his friends can get hold of him.”

McDonald adds the claim that Standfield and Littler want to “overpower Ricky”.

There’s suggestions the AMEP founders want to replace Muir with a new candidate. Publicly, though, the national executive is standing by its man, even though he currently has no staff in his home state.

“Of course he’ll take up the position. It’s his position, he won it,” Mr Littler said.

Littler explained Muir’s recent silence by saying the Senator-elect has been “very busy” and has been “undergoing training”.

It’s not the smoothest transition into political life for the AMEP. A week into its new political career, it looks as though the AMEP could be wearing L-plates for a little while yet.

[Source: The Canberra Times | Thanks to Stu for the tip]

Categories
Lamborghini

Put your hand up if you’d like to be Giorgio Sanna!

Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini test driver

Giorgio Sanna. Ever heard of him? He’s the bloke who replaced Valentino Balboni. If you haven’t caught on yet, that means Giorgio gets to test drive Lamborghinis for a living. He gets to do that on the racetrack, in competition, or with new prototypes on the road.

We can only think a bad day for Sanna would be turning to a new planning meeting where he has to utter to himself, “Not another bloody Gallardo!”

In the video oil commercial after the break Giorgio tells us all about the fun times he has playing with Italian supercars day after day.

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Categories
Nissan

How fast can the Nissan GT-R Nismo go?

2014 Nissan GT-R Nismo prototype

While Matt Prior from Autocar presents a good case for the demise of lap times as a subjective measure in contributing towards a decision to purchase one car over another, Dale Lomas from Bridge to Gantry reports that Nissan is going all out with its latest Nismo GT-R:

The Nürburgring is always being used for something, but the prices to hire the track are so expensive that it’s very unusual to hear only one car going past every 7 or 8 minutes. It’s even more unusual for that one car to enjoy a compliment of safety marshalls and timing beacons in the industry/sport-auto positions (T13 start and end). But that’s what the Nismo GTR has this morning.

The GT-R has always been something of a giant killer at the Nürburgring and when the car was first released pretty much anything with a Porsche badge on it was firmly in Nissan’s sights. Porsche wasn’t always happy about that. At one stage Porsche even claimed Nissan cheated on its way to headline grabbing lap times.

Fast forward a few years and it’s quite something to see Nissan has booked the entire Nordschleife in what appears to be a determined chase for a super fast lap time. We’re not for one moment suggesting this Nismo GT-R will go faster the 918’s 6:57 lap time, but, well, you just never know with these things. As it stands Nissan claims its best time at the Ring with a GT-R is 7:18.

Let’s wait and see what happens next!

[Source: Bridge to Gantry]

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Categories
Audi

Further confirmation the Audi RS3 is on the way

2011 Audi RS3

We already know the next-gen RS3 is coming and that it will be powered by Audi’s charismatic inline five cylinder turbo. Yet in these early stages it’s still nice to see such things reconfirmed, as Autocar reports:

Audi has confirmed a successor to the current RS3 will be launched. Quattro GmbH chief Stephan Reil confirmed the decision to Autocar, saying the new model would rival the Merceded-Benz A45 AMG and would retain its predeccessor’s 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine.

[Source: Autocar]

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