Car Articles

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It’s an episode from Autocar online this time, with the brutal Porsche 911 GT2 taking on the new American muscle in the form of the Corvette ZR-1.  On paper and before seeing the episode, I put my money on the Porsche.  However, which would my heart beg me to own?  I’m afraid it would be the ‘Vette.  I’m not normally a fan of American cars but perhaps it’s because I’m getting on a bit that I’m after a bit of the ‘american dream’.

I think for me I still fancy a bit of the Cadillac CTS-V.  Whether that particular model will have any future or not I guess remains to be seen, given that GM in the US is now reporting in to Obama.  He’s a sensible guy, not sure there’s any evidence to suggest he’s a petrol head though…

I’m not sure how newsworthy this is, but I’m guessing quite so given how furiously politicians sprout their nonsense about buses and other forms of public transport being perfect for the new ‘green’ world we all find ourselves in (like it or not).  On the way home, I had to stand on a noisy, cramped and poorly cleaned bus.  This got me thinking about how much more comfortable on (or even on) just about any form of private transport, rather than being there.

Then, I started considering, as you do, the impact on the environment that this bus journey was having.  Now, unsurprisingly, I found it difficult to find statistics on what kinds of CO2 emissions a ‘normal’ bus puts out.  They don’t tend to advertise that kind of thing on local transport provider websites.  Why?  Take a look at the billowing black smoke coming out of a bus next time it passes you, that probably explains it.

I think the real concern I have is over a complete lack of transparency over the issue.  I read that there’s a possibility that older buses put out more than 50g/km of CO2 per passenger.  If we multiply this by 20 (passengers), that gives 1,000 g/km of CO2 being pushed into the atmosphere.  Here’s another kicker - the bus I was on today was doing 5 miles per gallon.  Five.  This is where the world’s emissions are coming from and where the oil is being used up!

There’s no doubt that if you can cram a lot of people on a bus who would otherwise take a car, then arguably it’s more environmentally friendly than the lot of them jumping into their own BMW M3.  But, would they all be doing so when the average car in Britain is a 1.6 litre and 300,000 people will be leaping into smaller, more eco-friendly cars thanks to a £2k government cheque?  I challenge any bus company to tell me the real figure, in CO2 (not broken down as an average per passenger) that their bus puts out, alongside their average miles per gallon on any given route of their choosing.  I highly doubt that anyone will step up and accept that challenge.

For my side of the bargain, if any public spirited, public transport company would like to offer such information in the interests of full disclosure, I will naturally upload all pertinent information provided.

Racing legend Mika Hakkinen teaches Captain Slow to drive.  Naturally, he shows off exactly what Finnish car control is, whilst James May actually does manage to come up good when he does a bit of racing.  Well, better than he normally does anyway…

Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M

There’s a long tradition of some very unusual, rare and super-fast metal turning up at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.  Ferrari s a marque that will be showing 3 UK debuts at the festival, including the ultra-rare Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M.  Here’s the official release info:

Ferrari will be showcasing three exciting new models during the Sunday Times Supercar Run at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed: the California, the Scuderia Spider 16M and the 599 GTB Fiorano with HGTE package.

The Ferrari California is the Prancing Horse’s first front-engined V8 which has been classically styled to echo one of the greatest designs from Ferrari’s history, the 250 GT California. The new California, however, is packed with the latest technology and includes Ferrari’s first dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox, a direct injection 4.3 V8 engine with 460hp, the latest F1-Trac traction control system, a new multi-link rear suspension, and, of course, an innovative retractable folding hardtop that opens or closes in only 14 seconds. The California has already received the critical acclaim of the automotive press around the world, with Top Gear claiming it is a “proper God’s honest, marrow-deep Ferrari”, and Autocar describing it as “absolutely bloody marvellous!”.

The Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M is a very special high-performance model launched to commemorate Ferrari’s 16th F1 Constructors’ Title in 2008. Limited to an exclusive 499 examples worldwide, the Scuderia Spider 16M features the same honed-to-perfection handling of the 430 Scuderia, but with some additional livery options, interior detailing and, of course, the extreme thrills that come with open-top motoring in Ferrari’s fastest convertible car around the company’s Fiorano test track in Maranello. The Scuderia Spider 16M has already been described by EVO as “utterly, totally, mesmerisingly visceral” and by CAR as “breathtakingly gorgeous” and “simply biblical”.

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano with HGTE package completes Ferrari’s presence at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year, with a car that takes the handling of the award-winning 599 GTB Fiorano to another level, with improved steering feel, brake response, throttle response, suspension and traction control settings to ensure the sharpest driving experience of any front-engined V12 GT car on sale today. The HGTE package can also be identified by additional visual cues such as revised front grille, new wheel design, exhaust tips and a bespoke interior with HGTE stitching on the seats. Like the California and the Scuderia Spider 16M, the 599 with HGTE package has received praise from the automotive press, with Performance Car declaring it “Ferrari’s most complete supercar to date” and the Daily Telegraph succumbing to the appeal of a “supercar named desire”.

Ferrari is also represented by the Scuderia Ferrari team who will be demonstrating the 2008 Championship-winning F1 car, driven by Marc Gené, throughout the weekend. Additional fine examples of Ferrari’s illustrious racing heritage can also be seen in the Cathedral Paddock, with the following privately-owned cars entered in this year’s event:

• 1956 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta (Legends of Le Mans)
• 1961 Ferrari 196 SP Dino (Classic Endurance Racers)
• 1967 Ferrari 312/68 (Classic Grand Prix Cars)
• 1969 Ferrari 312 P (International Sports Cars)
• 1969 Ferrari 512 S (International Sports Cars)
• 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS4 ‘Daytona’ (Cartier Style et Luxe)
• 1978 Ferrari 312 T3 (Evolution of the F1 Car)
• 1980 Ferrari 512 BBLM (International Sports Cars)
• 2003 Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS (Contemporary GT racers)
• 2008 Ferrari F2008 (Current F1 Cars)

You may be in interested to note that the Eurorap 2009 survey results are now available.  You can read all about the safety of Britain’s roads.  What I found most intersting is the fact that 50% of deaths come from just 10% of the road network.  This should mean that the government know where they need to improve safety measures - I wonder if they do?

Here’s an excerpt for you:

“Single-carriageway A-roads are rated Britain’s most dangerous and 58 per cent of A-roads and 25 per cent of motorways fail to rate as safe, according to the latest survey by the Road Safety Foundation, which has tracked and classified the risk-level of roads for the last nine years.”

Read the rest of the report at the Road Safety Foundation.

Nissan GT-R

Look at that machine!  Yes, the Nissan GT-R has now arrived firmly in my neighbourhood.  The four exhaust, 3.6 secs to 60 monster was on a pedestal at a local dealership, alongside a new Nissan 370Z.  Both nice cars, but it was a bit silly to put them side by side when the GT-R (Godzilla) looks so damn impressive.  So, what’s my initital thoughts?

• The Nissan GT-R is a lot bigger than I thought it was
• It’s quite a wide car, with huge presence
• The alloys in black that are wrapped in some serious rubber look better than just about any others I’ve seen on any car
• The interior shows a speedo with a max of 220mph - oh yes!
• Angles, angles and angles - the car has a lot of them which gives a menacing look
• Even the lights are stylish
• The interior is far better than commentators will have you believe

It was a huge surprise seeing a Nissan GT-R (actually, I saw 3 of them) in the flesh, as it were.  But, it was brilliant and made my day.  Yes, I desperately want one.  I’ve been promised by a relative that if he wins the lottery he’ll buy me the car.  I did hear though that they’re already sold out for a couple of months.  Oh well, I guess I can continue to dream about owning ‘Godzilla’.

The new Toyota Prius

Let’s not start going on about how some diesels are better handling, more fun and achieve the same mpg rating or better.  The reason being, Toyota are taking their green credentials one stage further with their new factory.  Here’s the information from Toyota themselves:

The low emissions and fuel efficiency delivered by the new Toyota Prius in everyday driving would be of little value if they were not backed up by equally environmentally focused manufacturing. As part of Toyota’s commitment to achieving the best possible performance throughout the car’s lifecycle, the production centre for the third generation Prius is a standard-bearer for clean operations and the use of renewable energy sources.

The Tsutsumi plant in Japan is one of five Toyota global Eco-Factories (Burnaston in the UK is another) that are designed to minimise environmental impact and develop best practices for adoption elsewhere. It has held the ISO14001 “green standard” for environmental management since 1996, pioneering innovations in energy saving, waste management and recycling.

Just as new Prius can use solar energy to keep its cabin cool when parked, Tsutsumi meets half its electricity requirements with a 50,000m2 array of solar panels that can generate 2,000kW of energy an hour. The rest of its energy demands are met by an efficient gas co-generation system.

To ensure only as much power as needed is used, energy-saving lighting has been installed and patrols are carried out to monitor usage. A control system cuts electricity use when the plant is non-operational and the building of sunlight ducts allows more natural light to be introduced into working areas.

Even the building itself helps clean up the local environment, with 22,000m2 of the assembly plant being covered in photocatalytic paint. This reacts to sunlight by releasing active oxygen into the atmosphere, which helps break down harmful substances such as nitrogen oxides (NOx). To help offset CO2 emissions, Tsutsumi workers and people from the local community joined forces to plant 50,000 trees around the factory site in 2008.

Tsutsumi sends no waste to landfill and cut the amount that is incinerated by 82 per cent to 730 tonnes between 1999 and 2006, with the future goal of reducing that figure to zero.

Between 2003 and 2007 CO2 emissions from the plant were reduced by 36 per cent. During the same period, the total amount of waste produced was reduced by 21 per cent between; use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was down by 48 per cent; and 14 per cent less water was used.

Tsutsumi operates a comprehensive water recycling system that has cut the amount discharged into local rivers by half, while the water that is released is actually cleaner than that in the waterways themselves.

As an Eco-Factory, Tsutsumi is also committed to working in harmony with its local community and surrounding environment, and to an operational lifespan of 100 years.

New Prius is on sale from 1 August, priced from £18,370 on the road.

Max Mosley

As part of the deal to avoid a breakaway series next year, Max Mosley has agreed to not stand for re-election for the FIA next year.  It’s likely that Bernie Ecclestone had significant involvement in the discussions, in order to ensure that the future of F1 as it stands remained secure.  Interestingly, prior to the meeting, Mosley had insisted that he wouldn’t stand down, even though after revelations of his private life in 2008.

From what I’ve heard, rules will remain the same for the next season, though cost cutting will be implemented eventually to reach the £40million budget cap target - whether that will happen remains to be seen.  The reason that budget was set however was to bring the costs back down to 1990s levels.

Either way, it’s great news that the future of F1 has been secured and I’m glad the greatest form of motorsport in the world will be around in current guise next year.

The British GT

I’m fairly confident in saying that whilst this is certainly not the last time I’ll be attending the British GT as it was some bloody brilliant motorsport (GT3 and a couple of GT4 cars in case any of you were paying attention or were actually there), I can safely say that it’s the last time I’ll be heading up North at 4.30 in the morning to get there on time for the test laps.

Whilst being one of the hardcore few to arrive on time, the fact of being up for 17 hours straight was a pretty painful one, especially the brandy – but more on that later.  The journey up to Knockhill (it’s in Scotland for those of you unfamiliar with the race circuit) was a largely uneventful one, barring a stop at a nice little Little Chef – with a wonderful waitress whom I have now forgotten the name of (yes, I’m actually James May).

Having stopped for breakfast, my friend and I decided to consult the timetable for today’s proceedings, to discover that there were various races throughout the day including the eponymous British GT, the Legends, a VW race featuring a wide variety of cars (though all equalised via power-to-weight), stock cars, single seaters and more.  All in all, something for everyone really – on a great circuit to boot.

Getting there just on time, we saw some of the British GT cars screeching around the track on a warm-up session.  Seeing the Ferraris, a very rare Ascari, a Dodge Viper and even a Ford GT was bloody brilliant.  The Ford GT in particular is far more handsome (note not beautiful) a car in the flesh than it ever could look when seen on television.

Whilst Knockhill is a short circuit compared to some others, it offers a nice blend of straights and corners.  When I arrived, I positioned myself by the Real Radio Hairpin turn – it was great to see the cars screeching their brakes, slamming down a few gears then tearing up the start finish straight.  It’s probably worth mentioning the weather at this point - it was amazingly hot.  A great day for racing, or rather lounging around as others do the hard work!

Next were more buildup and qualifying events for the VW race and the single seaters.  I particularly enjoyed seeing the new VW Scirocco out on the track – it proved to be a nimble performer that had quite a good presence on track, despite being a smaller car.

Look out for part 2 – coming this weekend!  Enjoy the photos of the day below!

A Ferrari

Look at the Ferrari tackling that turn!

A closeup of the Dodge Viper

A Dodge Viper set for the race.  I’m not normally a car fan, but for some reason seeing this at the British GT at Knockhill made me really, really want one.