TOYOTA TOPS AT SUN CITY RALLY

Former national off road champion Duncan Vos and co-driver Rob Howie, driving a Super Production class Castrol Team Toyota Hilux, this afternoon won the Sun City 400 in North West Province.  Second, 4,48 minutes in arrears, was the BMW X3 of former champion Hannes Grobler and Hennie ter Stege, with Malcolm Kock and Johan Burger third in a privateer Toyota Hilux a further 4 min 48 sec behind.

It was Vos and Howie’s second victory in the first five rounds of the Absa South African Off Road Car Championship (they also won the Atlas Copco Battlefields 400 in KwaZulu-Natal in round three in May) and they now lead the championship with 67 points from Thomas Rundle/Juan Mohr (61,5) and Terence Marsh/George Smalberger (56).

Castrol Toyota team-mates Anthony Taylor and Chris Birkin in the second factory Toyota Hilux overcame considerable odds to be among the 17 finishers, completing the course in hot and dusty conditions in 12th place after losing over an hour on the second loop when they were forced to stop and replace a broken front drive shaft while lying sixth.

Toyota, with four Hilux bakkies and two Land Cruisers in the top 10, won the manufacturers’ challenge for the event and consolidated its lead in the prestigious overall manufacturers’ championship.

Saturday’s 340-km route, over two identical loops with a compulsory service stop at the halfway point, was a very tough combination of tight, rocky tracks and fast grassland sections dotted with trees that took its toll of the strong field of production vehicles, with two championship front-runners among the 12 that failed to finish.

Vos and Howie had started the day in second place, a single second behind the privateer Toyota Hilux of Friday’s Donaldson Prologue winners Gary Bertholdt and Andre Vermeulen.  Vos took an early lead after out-dragging Bertholdt off the start line, but dropped back to fifth place after 93 km when he had to stop to change a flat wheel.

By the time the field reached the compulsory service stop at the halfway stage, Vos had recovered to third behind the privateer Toyota Hilux bakkies of Pikkie Labuschagne/Rickus Erasmus and brothers Hugo and Jaap de Bruyn.  Soon after the start of the second 170-km loop they were second, 1 min 30 sec behind Labuschagne, and they regained a lead they were not to lose again at around the 85 km mark.

“We’re right back in the championship,” said the four-times previous champion and twice before a winner of this event.  “Apart from our puncture, we had a trouble-free run and the Hilux didn’t miss a beat.  It was a tough event and we had to push hard to make up for the lost time.  The dust was a big problem.”

Taylor’s weekend started off badly when he punctured both right-hand side tyres after hitting a rock in long grass at speed on Friday’s 55-km prologue that determines the start order for Saturday’s race.  He lost more than eight minutes and finished 17th.

He started Saturday’s race 8 min 21 sec behind leader Bertholdt and, after a storming drive that’s saw him record the fastest time for the opening loop, he arrived at the halfway service stop in sixth place and just 3 min 38 sec behind the leading Hilux of Labuschagne.  It was a typically tigerish performance by the former track racing star, who passed 11 bakkies in the heavy dust and remarkably made up nearly five minutes on the leaders.

He was challenging Grobler in the BMW at around the 20-km mark on the second and final loop when the drive shaft broke.  “We battled to get the new shaft in and lost a lot more time than we should have,” reported Taylor, whose oil-stained racing overalls bore testimony to his and co-driver Birkin’s roadside repair job.

“It was tough break.  I reckon we could have finished second today, but we’re happy to have scored some valuable championship points and are only 16 behind the leaders with three rounds remaining.  There are a total of 75 points still to be fought for and we’re still in with a good chance,” he added.

Team principal Glyn Hall commented, “Both drivers did a superb job today.  The two Castrol Toyota Hilux bakkies are now setting the pace and improving with every outing.  We need to maintain the pressure and push hard in the remaining three events for a championship victory.”

The next round of the Absa Off Road Car Championship is the Carnival City 400 in Gauteng on September 10.

STORY BY TOYOTA

UNVEILED: BMW I8 CONCEPT AMAZES, HEADS TO JOZI

The BMW i8 Concept car was officially launched last Friday at a glitzy ceremony where the company and its bosses unveiled the upcoming hybrid sports car to the world. The 2+2 seater (2 front , 2 at the back) will be the second of BMW’s new i cars, following the smaller i3.

i8’s measurements are as follows: length is 4.6 metres, height 1.3m, width 1.95m and wheelbase is 2.8m. That makes it overall more or less the same size as the current 3 Series Coupe (E90). Of course it will be notably lighter than that, coming in at about 1500kg, thanks to advanced construction and weight-saving methods. Full LED lights will be standard, complimented by taut surfaces, precise edges and sweeping lines.

Sharing power provision duties will be a petrol engine and an electric motor, unlike the first Vision EfficientDynamics Concept car which used a turbo diesel engine instead. Total system output is expected to be 260kW and 550Nm, of which the petrol engine will provide 164kW and 300Nm respectively.

BMW sees the i8 running from standstill to 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds, with top whack limited to 250km/h. For a car of this nature, average fuel consumption of 2.7 litres per 100km is nothing short of incredible, if it can be replicated in real life. Even if it can’t, real life driving could possibly return 4 to 5 litres per 100km at worst, still bloody amazing given what the car’s performance.

Advanced navigation will be one of the car’s big attractions. The two navigation modes "Last Mile Navigation" and "Intermodal Route Planning" are designed particularly with urban environments in mind. Last Mile Navigation continues to navigate the driver even after he gets out of the vehicle, by sending instructions to his smartphone which will direct him quickly and reliably on the "last lap", for example from the car park to the museum entrance. And when the driver is ready to head back, he can quickly locate his parked vehicle using the CarFinder function.

An example of the BMW i8 is expected to appear at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show in October, alongside its smaller i3 sibling and the new M5, among others.

MASERATI GRANCABRIO SPORT BREAKS COVER

Maserati has introduced the new GranCabrio Sport to customers in Europe. The drop-top Maser was first unveiled at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show and features, among others, a new black colour, red accents on the Maserati Trident and new headlights with white reflectors.

The new wheels are 20-inch types shod with 245/35 ZR20 front and 285/35 ZR20 rear tyres. It’s those tyres that have the unenviable task of handle the car’s 331kW and 510Nm of torque, all pumped out by the naturally aspirated 4.7-litre V8 that’s mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The ‘box itself has something called MC Auto Shift mode which provides fast gearshift times, an automatic blip on downshifts and launch control.

As such Maserati claims a 0 – 100km/h time of 5.2 seconds and top speed of 285km/h for the car. Average fuel consumption is said to be 9.8 litres per 100km, matched by C02 emissions of 337 g/km. expect to see the sexy but undoubtedly overpriced GC Sport at the 2011 JIMS in Nasrec this October.

Wallpapers BUGATTI VEYRON GRAND SPORT L'OR BLANC

With the partnership between Bugatti and the Königliche Porzellan-Manufatur Berlin (KPM) the renowned manufacturer emphasizes the ability in creating pieces of automotive art. The "L'Or Blanc" celebrates its world premiere with an exclusive unveiling ceremony on June 30, 2011 at the KPM workshops in Berlin. This unique version of a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport is the world's first motor car to wear the finest porcelain on its body, as well as in its cabin. It captivates with an abstract exterior design. The security officer nods, the door opens. Amidst pure white walls bright spotlights illuminate a Bugatti Grand Sport that is placed in the center of the spacious room. We have entered the hidden world of the Bugatti Design Studio. The team around Bugatti's Head of Design Achim Anscheidt works in a quiet and focused atmosphere as they walk around their latest object of desire. Several times they stop, take a step to the left and to the right; they bend down and up again, looking intensely at the Grand Sport from different angles. They analyse the reflections of light on the car's body before they step back for a moment to get an overall impression of their work. Thin blue lines flow over the bright white exterior of the fastest convertible in the world. It feels like visiting the atelier of an American pop-art artist. The creation bears the name "L'Or Blanc." It represents an automobile that redefines the art of design. If you look at it through the eyes of a designer, you will recognize that it is the reflection of the studio lights on the body that attracts their interest. Positioned beneath a special light, the car is set in an ideal environment that provides an excellent image of the reflections. The studio light is reflected on the invisible edges between the body shapes of the Grand Sport. In numerous stages each reflection line is translated by Bugatti's designers onto the car body that has been pre-painted in a vibrant white tone. They use a precision tape made of Japanese soft tissue that can be easily torn off by hand. It adheres perfectly to sulphur-containing plasticine. By stretching them to a certain degree, these tapes are "lined" in pieces up to five meters long across the whole exterior of the car. If the line does not fully meet the intention of the designers, they place a correction tape above the original line. This process is repeated until the final line has the right tension and character. Between the styling steps, the team looks at the car from a distance to evaluate the relation of the stripes to the white spaces. This is also the best way to ensure that lines flow from one side of the body across the roof and the rear to the opposite side. Even the smallest imperfections are being revised meticulously, as the final target is to achieve unrivalled perfection. Finally, the lines stretch across the perfectly shaped Bugatti like a grid of light reflections. Over the course of several weeks, the team of designers develop the final composition of dynamic bends and delicate lines that run over the automotive piece of art like the serpentines of the Italian Stelvio Pass. "The 'L'Or Blanc' is evidence of the capabilities of the craftsmen at both brands. The distinctive structure of lines does not only mirror the elaborate hand painting on porcelain but also the process of modelling in automotive design," says Achim Anscheidt. In the next step, Bugatti's paint specialists dedicate themselves to the further completion of the masterpiece. Over the course of three weeks, each millimeter of the marked lines are being filled by hand with the characteristic blue color. In addition, the whole body receives five layers of clear lacquer. A varying and powerful gradient of the two colors is generated because the team had used a combination of tapes with different widths. While the blue lines dominate over the white spaces in the lower section of the convertible, the relation of colors inverts on the way to the roof so that the intense white appears even stronger. Twelve elements, made of finest porcelain at the Berlin based manufactory, complete the aesthetic approach of this special Grand Sport. Let us change the location and visit the workshops of the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur in the heart of Berlin. Following a tradition of around 250 years, at this location more than 170 craftsmen and specialists produce precious items, as today's expression of porcelain art. Hand-made plaster moulds are needed to craft the unique porcelain elements that appear in the exterior and interior of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport "L'Or Blanc", and with a tremendous attention to detail, each mould is created and optimized in a several-week-long process at the research and development department. The team has to run a number of dedicated tests with the raw material to check the impact of the natural shrinkage of around 16 percent during firing and drying. Finally, the porcelain elements fit seamlessly to the Bugatti components. "Porcelain is one of the strongest materials but the grade of quality depends significantly on the excellence of the manufacturing process. We had to assure that the inlays perfectly fit to the filler caps, it has been a challenge for us to exactly calculate the shrinkage of porcelain," explains Thomas Wenzel, Head of Design at KPM. The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport "L'Or Blanc" is the world's first automobile to be equipped with porcelain, and the development team invested a lot of effort to guarantee that each item is capable of performing in every driving situation in the most powerful car on the market. Before their application to the car, the porcelain elements were extensively examined in regard to automotive safety and quality to optimally protect the passengers in case of an accident. As part of the exterior design, porcelain is used for the inlays of the centre wheel badges, the fuel filler cap and the oil filler cap as well as the signature "EB" badge at the rear. Their shiny white surface blends in with the brilliant bright finish of the paint suggesting that the car would be coated with a thin layer of porcelain, too. "At first, it seems to be an unusual idea to use porcelain in a car, especially in the world's fastest convertible," comments Dr. Stefan Brungs, Director of Sales and Marketing at Bugatti Automobiles. "But this is what Bugatti stands for: the realization of exceptional ideas whilst striving for the utmost in quality and aesthetics. This allows us to continue Ettore Bugatti's heritage, who himself loved to experiment with new materials." Besides the signed porcelain inlays on the sides of the centre console, an intarsia made of finest porcelain is fixed to the rear panel between the seats. Similar to the exterior porcelain elements this item carries the relief of the famous elephant in an upright standing position that has been created by sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti. His brother Ettore had used the original draft to cast the radiator mascot for the Bugatti Royale. This elephant is a synonym for the brand still today. Embedded in the top of the centre console, there is a fine porcelain dish with edges finished in an exclusive diamond polishing - a technique that has been applied by the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin for the very first time. The precious dish can be removed and is part of a picnic set that was exclusively designed by KPM for the Bugatti car. "The impulse for that partnership came from Rembrandt Bugatti's renowned elephant," tells Jörg Woltmann, owner of the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin (KPM) and car aficionado. "At the beginning, we wanted to integrate the sculpture in our product range, then we thought about the potential for a comprehensive service and finally the synthesis of ideas led us to this outstanding Grand Sport." Woltmann is enthusiastic about the "L'Or Blanc". "A number of superlatives are associated with porcelain from the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin: one says it has the most beautiful shapes and decors, it has the hardest weight and the whitest tone. Now, it is also the fastest porcelain." The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport "L'Or Blanc" presented in Berlin, is a one-of-a-kind creation. Nevertheless, the partnership is supposed to be continued, and Bugatti's designers received a lot of inspiration from porcelain painting offering a variety of new opportunities for the design. The price of the Bugatti L'Or Blanc is 1.65 million EUR.

source : Bugatti Press

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Car wallpapers BMW i8 Concept - Photo

 

Wallpapers BMW i8 Concept

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Video BMW i8 Concept

			The BMW i8 Concept and the fascinating approach that underpins it embody the vision of a sustainable contemporary sports car brought to life. Its innovative plug-in hybrid concept combines the modified electric drive system from the BMW i3 Concept - fitted over its front axle - with a high-performance three-cylinder combustion engine producing 164 kW (220 hp)/300 Nm (221 lb-ft) at the rear. The electric motor in the BMW i8 Concept is a full-capability unit which can also power the car on its own, if required. However, working in tandem allows the two drive systems to display their respective talents to the full, delivering the performance of a sports car but the fuel consumption of a small car. Acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under five seconds combined with fuel consumption in the European cycle of under three litres per 100 kilometres (approx. 94 mpg imp) and average customer fuel consumption of between five and seven litres per 100 kilometres (40.4 - 56.5 mpg imp) - even when driven hard - are figures currently beyond the capability of any vehicle powered by a combustion engine of comparable performance. Thanks to its large lithium-ion battery, which can be charged from a domestic power supply, the BMW i8 Concept can travel up to 35 kilometres (approx. 20 miles) on electric power alone. A large proportion of short everyday journeys can therefore be completed with zero emissions. The car's electric-only mode allows it to enter emissions-capped central areas of cities with access restrictions in place for petrol or diesel-powered vehicles. The i8 Concept's efficiency rating is further enhanced by its ability to generate energy at both axles. The electric motor at the front axle recoups maximum energy every time the driver brakes, while a high-voltage alternator hooked up to the combustion engine charges the battery, if required. Added to which, the 2+2-seater offers enough space for four people, giving it a high level of everyday practicality. The emotional design of the BMW i8 Concept ensures its qualities are clear for all to see. Its dynamic proportions give the BMW i8 Concept the appearance of surging forward before it even turns a wheel and lend visual form to its extraordinary performance. The sophisticated concept behind the upward-swivelling doors fixed to the A-pillars underlines the car's sporting capability and opens up access to the front and rear seats at the same time. A series of air inlets allow the air to flow through and around the vehicle to optimum effect, ensuring extremely low drag. They also add visual emphasis to these advanced aerodynamics. Airflow plays an extremely important role at the rear of the vehicle as well. Intakes behind the passenger cell and at the rear provide a cooling flow of air through the engine compartment, while outlets in the rear diffuser and the flow of air around the rear wheels ensure the car is extremely efficient in terms of lift and downforce at both axles. The LifeDrive architecture of the BMW i8 Concept has been carefully adapted to enhance the vehicle's sports car character, and therefore to deliver unbeatable performance and excellent driving dynamics. The motor in the front axle module and combustion engine at the rear are connected by an "energy tunnel", which houses the high-voltage battery. This gives the car a low centre of gravity - and the dynamic benefits that come with it. The positioning of the electric motor and engine over their respective axles and the space-saving and well-balanced packaging of all components result in an optimum 50/50 weight distribution. The weight of every component inside the BMW i8 Concept has been minimised down to the very last detail, allowing the extra weight of the electric drive system and battery to be cancelled out. The BMW i8 Concept therefore presents the ideal environment in which to sample this very special drive concept on the road. The passengers sit - in typical sports car style - in an extremely low and enclosed position inside the CFRP-constructed Life module (mounted above the Drive module). The sporting character of the BMW i8 Concept continues into the interior. Boasting a driver-focused environment unmatched by any BMW Group vehicle before it, the BMW i8 Concept immerses the driver fully in the unique driving experience. The purpose-built driver's position is geared squarely towards the person at the wheel and gives optimum access to all information and controls. The three-dimensional displays are crystal clear and flash up the relevant information for the driving situation at hand. The interior as a whole is defined by the functionality of a classical BMW sports car and majors on lightness and ease of use. The BMW i8 Concept is the sports car for a new generation - pure, emotional and sustainable.
source : BMW i8 Concept

Honda Civic (2012): the first teaser info and video

Honda has gone official with the new 2012 Civic. Sort of. It's issued this single disguised photograph of the new Civic, and a brief video with some background on the chassis development.
As yesterday's scoop of the Civic showed, the 2012 Civic will be a bit longer and lower than today's model. And there will be a new range of engines powering the front-drive chassis, eventually including a new compact diesel thought to be around 1.4 litres in capacity.

Honda Civic (2012): the chassis

The rear axle sticks with a torsion beam suspension. Honda argues it give more boot space – something Honda claims will be class-leading – than a full independent system as found in the VW Golf or Ford Focus.
Honda engineers will bang on about their new fluid-filled compliance bushes on the ends of the twist beam, which are designed to improve ride and handling. The current, eighth-generation Civic has never been at the top of class for dynamics, an area Honda clearly wishes to address.
You can watch the Honda engineers talking about the new suspension in the short film below.

When will we see the new Honda Civic for real?

After a long teaser campaign. Expect a series of mini announcements before we see the car for real on 13 September at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show.
The new, ninth-generation Honda Civic goes on UK sale in spring 2012.


source : http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/First-Official-Pictures/Honda-Civic-2012-the-first-teaser-info-and-video/

[ CAR review] Audi R8 V8 Spyder (2011)

The lesser-engined R8 is arguably the most conceptually perfect of Audi’s supercar family. Why? Because it’s the R8 that most closely resembles an extreme Audi without delusions of Ferrari. You can admire it as much for its honesty as for its ability. And, even without its roof, boy does it have ability…

No V10 and no roof? Compromised surely?

You might not be saying that at 186mph. In fact, you might not be saying ANYTHING at 186mph. But the R8 V8 feels perfectly engined, beautifully balanced and in no way structurally hampered by its rooflessness. It’s incredibly comfortable with the roof down, even at speed (though possibly not at 186mph) and driving it this way allows you to drink in the delightfully mellow throatiness of the 4.2-litre 24-valver behind you.
This isn’t a Ferrari-style howl or even the thunderous torque-rush of sister act Lamborghini – no, it’s more of a rising surge, an escalation of pitch rising to a racy crescendo up around the 7000rpm mark.

This model has a manual gearbox. Better or worse than the auto?

A matter of taste, obviously, but for me the manual wins through every time. You’ve got to hand it to Audi for delivering the six-speed shifter with an open gate, reminding us of the glorious past now busily being left behind by the supercar glitterati. The noisy clack of the aluminium stick slamming into the gate is delicious, and all the more so for the sympathetic stacking of the ratios which, unlike those long-geared, big-beat Lambos, allows you to play with the whole selection on a normal drive.
I recently had the pleasure of the open-gate manual in the Lamborghini Gallardo Balboni, but this R8 is even better because of that sympathetic usefulness. It defines the whole car. The R-tronic is naturally readily available and most R8s will pack it. Your call, but a nice dilemma to have.

What about the price? Can we call it good value?

That’s the beauty of the V8 model. Yes, it’s £96k, but that’s £20k less than the V10, and I absolutely guarantee you’ll never catch yourself yearning for those extra pots. Whether any Audi can ever really be lux enough to justify such a tag is a moot point. On the one hand, the interior is massively understated, beautifully built but willfully underdesigned, but on the other hand it’s pretty much knob-for-knob what you’ll get in your wildly pricey Gallardo.
If you wanted to criticise you’d have to admit that when the roof’s up the whole experience falters somewhat. It’s cramped in there, visibility is radically curtailed and the happy noise of the engine is replaced by a less pleasing vibey thrum from the wind. But you can say that about most super-cabrios.
And this R8 IS a super-cabrio.

source : http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Audi-R8-V8-Spyder-2011-CAR-review/