Top Gear Sunday Brunch #3

The other day I was researching the concept of anti-lag after watching a bunch of Group B rally and turbocharged engine videos and found this old gem. It's a great little concept produced by Prodrive - the same Prodrive that ran an E30 M3 rally car as well as ran Subaru's highly successful WRC team with the WRX STi's at the hands of legendary Collin McRae. If that's not enough, David Richards and his company Prodrive are now the co-owners of Aston Martin and their racing team along with a few Middle Eastern equity firms.

But I digress, this is the Prodrive P2 and its a car predicated on the idea of anti-lag, which is essentially the concept of maintaining the rotational speed of the turbocharger so that when the driver lifts his foot off the throttle to apply the brakes the turbo doesn't lose rotation speed. With traditional turbocharged engines, the turbos spool up at a preset engine speed (revolutions) and the power provided by the turbocharger becomes available to the driver. However, lifting off the throttle causing the engine revs to fall, there can be a "lag time" before the engine gets back up to the revolutions it needs to feed the engine power once the driver is back on the throttle. With an anti-lag system, it helps keep the turbo spooled up even when the engine revs fall when the driver lifts off of the throttle. Thus, with the turbo staying spooled up at its optimal speed and power is readily available as soon as the driver is able to reapply the throttle.

OK, lesson over - watch what this car does to Clarkson!

WTCC coming to the United States?

Well, it is the World Touring Car Championship so why not expand the races outside of Europe? Thankfully, the WTCC added tracks to the 2009 calendar for Mexico, Japan and South America and according to the head promoter of the WTCC Marcello Lotti he would love to see a WTCC race or two as early as the 2011 race year on possibly Laguna Seca and the Homestead street track in Miami.

Even better is that this would encourage more manufacturers to enter the WTCC to compete against BMW, Chevrolet and SEAT and their 320Si, Lacetti and Leons, respectively. One possible addition would be Ford who are eyeing the possibility of enrolling in the FIA-sanctioned event with the new 2010 Focus. When asked about where would the races likely be held, Lotti said he would like to host the races in the South due to a wider acceptance of small cars.

We're hoping the U.S. gets the races as it would be great to see a true touring car competition on U.S. soil as the KONI Challenge and Speed World Touring Car Challenge don't seem to have as much traction as they deserve. In terms of marketing, the hope would be that many of the smaller cars that companies like Chevrolet and Ford are beginning to gear themselves toward in the U.S. market might be given a second look by Americans when they see the capabilities of these cars on the track. Is win on Sunday, sell on Monday a dead slogan? We certainly hope not. With the WTCC racing in North America we could see the added benefit of companies like BMW actually building more demand for their 4-cylinder cars that many enthusiasts have missed for so many years since the E36 318ti went out of production. Personally, I'd love to see homologation cars such as the E90 32oSi being sold stateside as most of the world is privy to these special edition cars.

For those that don't know, the WTCC has been around since 1987 as a sort of upgrade to the European Touring Car Championship that had been around for years and years. The WTCC carried many of the same principles of the ETCC with cars that had to be homologated and as close to road-going spec as possible, typically with caps on engine displacement and horsepower to keep the competition close. Cars like the original E30 M3 and Ford Sierra gained particular notoriety with their dominance in the sport. As the series progressed other manufacturers came and went such as Audi throughout the 1990s with the then-new A4, Volvo with one of their wagons and the Russian manufacturer Lada even taking the opportunity to through a car into the mix.

Any quite a mix it is! WTCC is known for a lot of paint swapping as you have a tremendous number of cars typically on cramped circuits such as Brands Hatch, Pau and Macau. Some of the most recent closer calls were when Jason Plato's SEAT Leon was rammed from behind on the long downhill turn at Brands Hatch, caught air at the rear of the car and then managed to steer out of it with his front-wheel-drive hatchback or when Englster's BMW ran into the pace car when it veered onto the Pau circuit in front of him. You also have interesting stories like Alex Zanardi, who lost both his legs below the knees in a CART accident, still remaining highly competitive in a modified BMW 320Si.

Under the current Super 2000 regulations, none of the engines can have a displacement greater than 2,000cc and you find a well-mixed field of cars that are both rear-wheel and front-wheel driven compared to NASCAR of even Formula One with strictly rear-driven cars. Given the current state of the auto industry, this could be a bit of a shot in the arm for motorsport and offer a bit of variety to American gearheads. As as a U.S. taxpayer and thereby de facto shareholder in GM, I'd love to see the Lacetti/Cobalt tearing up circuits around this great country.

(Source: Autoblog)

Ford GT Back in Racing

The original Ford GT40 was conceived as a form of revenge by Henry Ford II against Enzo Ferrari. After toying with Henry "The Deuce" Ford II about the acquisition of Ferrari in the mid-1960's, The Deuce couldn't have that so he had his engineers very quickly pull together the car that would be the GT40. "GT" for Gran Turismo (or great race/tour) and "40" as the car was only 40 inches tall. In winning spec and after a few rough "teething" years for Ford Advanced Vehicles, the GT40 was fitted with a 7.0L V8 and the hands of racing greats Bruce McLaren, Ken Miles, Denny Hulme and Chris Amon the GT40 began to win races and took a 1-2-3 win at the 1966 Le Mans. The Deuce was finally able to thumb his nose at Il Commendatore by showing him up at the race that Ferrari had so dominated Le Mans for so many years.

Decades passed before Ford would release the new GT - a road-going sports car to commemorate the race car that had won them so many victories during the golden era of racing. However, this car wasn't built as a sports car to be raced but more as a road-going sports car for enthusiasts to show that Ford can still build a sports car to compete with the likes of Ferrari. Unfortunately, the GT came out at the time to battle the Ferrari 360 as it began to end its life cycle and Maranello began to usher out the then-new F430.

However, one group decided to resurrect the racing spec Ford GT and take to the tracks. Doran Racing, who also compete in the Grand Am Rolex Series, decided to build 6 Ford GT racing spec cars to do battle in the GT2 class of the ALMS. To keep the GT competitive Doran replaced more or less every body panel with carbon fiber-made panels and in the process sealed many of the close gaps in standard body panels that can create unwanted drag. The Doran GT's also received a widebody kit as well as a massive rear wing for increased grip. In terms of the engine, Doran is hold a modified 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 compared to the standard 5.4L supercharged V8. However, much like the original GT40, this GT-R has had a difficult birth into motorsports.

While the construction of the car was, overall, easier than converting a typical road car to race spec, the GT-R has had less than easy path to winning results. But, that doesn't keep the GT-R from competition nor has it since its 2008 introduction to ALMS and being one of the most distinctive cars on the grid with it's very wide, low stance. Ironically though, the GT40 had a number of years where it was completely uncompetitive, barely, if at all, finishing races before Carroll Shelby and his crew stepped in to up the ante of the GT40 with a 7.0L V8 and revised suspension work. It was then that The Deuce was able to bloody the nose of Enzo Ferrari himself on the very same tracks on which he built his reputation. We're hoping to see the Doran GT-R carry the same successes of the GT40 of yesteryear as it progresses into its career Stateside.

Top Gear Sunday Brunch #2

The 2010 Z4? Cuts right to my heart with an incredible engine, drop-dead gorgeous looks and a drop top. The Nissan 370Z? Cuts right to the heart of my budget and has better power output, brakes and suspension. However, I'll leave it to Jezza to sort out the details between the two all-new coupes.

I'd also recommend you ignore the stupid dinosaur references, they don't make a lot of sense and I'm pretty sure you'll never get chased down in a Nissan by a 'raptor.

The New Mercedes SLS AMG: Design Disappointment

Gone are the days of original car designs. Period. Beg to differ? Only a few concepts have struck a chord with me in the last few years with regard to innovative design versus the recycled, tired ideas that have been done over and over ad nauseum.

Gone are the days of cars like Ferrari F40, the McLaren F1, the Porsche 550 Spyder, the original Mustang, the Miura; cars built by passion and purpose dictating design. Cars that people dreamed up and built to build a car that the world hadn't seen yet, cars immortalized in a poster that would be hung on a little kid's wall for him to dream up his own car of the future. Those dreams have been replaced by cars built by profits and dividends and the fallout from such decisions made by faceless suits inside companies have taken their toll on the current generation of supercars.

We live in a world of a Ford Mustang with a "retro" design - and a Challenger and Camaro, Fiat 500 and MINI Cooper. In other words, a complete lack of creativity or "safe" design for companies to thrive off of the victories of yesterday. What's worse is the most recent victim of this trend: the iconic Mercedes 300SL. The car that, for many, defined Mercedes and ushered them into a world of exquisite taste and money-is-no-object styling and features in a post-World War II era.

The 300SL Gullwing, as it was known for it's upward folding doors, has already fallen victim to the hackneyed retro design of the McLaren-Mercedes SLR - the failed child of two motorsport giants as a car that was too long, too heavy and too boring in it's execution. Now, Mercedes feels that it hasn't done enough to show a lack of creativity on their part so they've recreated the 300SL Gullwing ... again... with the new SLS AMG - a 300SL Gullwing inspiration in terms of exterior and interior. However, in terms of execution, instead of bringing new ideas an innovation to a model, Mercedes has taken the same design and just redrawn the same shape with upgrades for 2010 - this is also a car that serves as an answer to a question that wasn't asked.

These designs bother me, while supercars answer questions never asked in the first place they still make a case for new, innovative, on-the-edge thought on how a car can be designed. But, in this case, that answered a question not asked by the car market with a same, tired answer. By playing it safe with a design for a flagship car, Mercedes has shot itself in the foot in one of its biggest times of need. Playing it safe with supercars rarely works out in a company's favor, supercars are supposed to be radical, outrageous and insanely expensive. Clinical, safe, organized - not words one would associate with a highly sought after car. While this car is fast, I think this is a car that, much like the SLR, will largely be a sales flop after 2-year leases end and everyone moves on to the latest and greatest - leaving Mercedes out a significant chunk of change and heavy on further brand dilution as this car, with no real innovation, doesn't leave much to compel buyers.

(Source: Autoblog)

Block vs. Dyrdek: Biggie Smalls Edition

As we've shown you, big man at DC Shoes Ken Block has already demonstrated the abilities of the 2009 rally-prepped Subaru STi around the airbase that is his test track.

In this clip we see Ken Block, in his prepped STi again, going head to head with his mini marketing machine and skate pro Rob Dyrdek, in his own prepped STi...kinda. This is a quick video showing off the Gymkhana drifting skills of the duo in it's own unique style. Being a fan of the show Rob and Big, I can't say this surprises me to see some of the risk they're taking in the video, then again, the use of the Benny Hill theme song makes it all worth while.

Be sure to watch around the 1:30 mark for the incredible change of direction Block makes with his STi around the cones - then compare it to Rob's attempt.

BMW Wins Me Over With New Concept

I'm pretty far from being a fan of the "green" movement of the last few years in the auto industry. With Chevy promising the Volt and Toyota providing the Prius which does more damage than it does good in the long run, green cars have left a lot to be desired. However, BMW has just corrected that, at least in my mind.

With the new Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, BMW has actually built an epically beautiful big coupe that returns over 50 miles per gallon and a sub-5 second 0 to 60 sprint. These figures are achieved via two electric motors, one attached to each axle, and a - wait for it - 3 cylinder diesel engine only good for 163HP. However, with the two electric motors, total output is put up over the 350HP mark, all while returning a dry weight of just under 3,100 lbs. Finally, a car company that gets it! Cut weight and performance and efficiency can increase. BMW achieved a lower weight figure by a combination of light weight materials and more innovative design.

This new concept comes in a 2+2 arrangement with a singular door on each side permitting access to both the front and rear seats making this a comfortable coupe for 4 adults. The coupe also take advantage of a heavy application of LED lighting as well as special, light sensitive glass on each door that can become more transparent or opaque depending on the level of light. In addition to the use of LEDs, many styling cues from this coupe have been picked up from the achingly beautiful M1 Coupe Homage that was released at the 2008 Concours d'Elegance in Italy. Frankly, if BMW, or any other car manufacturer for that matter, can produce fun, competent vehicles that look like this while providing similar performance figures then we can see a reason for wanting to go green - only with the promise of wonderful exhaust notes.