Ferrari, BMW lend expertise to Olympic bobsled, skeleton, luge
Motorsports and sliding have plenty in common.
"There's always the link between the Formula One companies, or any
motor company, and skeleton and bobsleigh," says Rachel Blackburn, the
engineer who has been involved in Britain's skeleton program since 2006
and who used to work for McLaren.
"There's the Ferrari sleds and the BMW sleds ... when we were at
McLaren it kind of made a good story," she told Reuters by telephone
from her home in Dubai.
That somewhat manufactured rivalry has died down in the years since
Sochi, with McLaren no longer involved and Ferrari's presence low key.
But the worlds of grand prix motor racing and sliding sports still have plenty in common.
Bobsled, luge and skeleton are among the fastest of Olympic sports,
with bobsleds reaching speeds over 90 mph. Drivers are subjected to
gut-wrenching G-forces, and crashes can be fatal.
And then there is the ongoing debate about cost controls, the
direction of future rules, preserving a level playing field and
obsessive secrecy — all endlessly recurring themes in Formula One.
(AutoBlog.com)
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Monday, January 15, 2018
Why Does VW Canada Get All The Good Paint Colors?
Volkswagen Is Doing Color Right For A Change
[C]an’t complain about what Volkswagen is doing for the Golf R, because, color-wise, they are bringing it. Well, in Canada at least.
Just look at all the glorious color options you get when you’re specc’ing out a Golf R in Canada:
[T]ry to spec a car on the U.S. site, I get this:
Five colors? Wait, I mean two colors, and three neutrals. Why do the Canadians get all those colors and not us? Let’s check the UK:
Hm, better, we have nine colors, but still nothing close to Canada! What’s going on here? Who decides this stuff?
(Jalopnik.com)
[C]an’t complain about what Volkswagen is doing for the Golf R, because, color-wise, they are bringing it. Well, in Canada at least.
Just look at all the glorious color options you get when you’re specc’ing out a Golf R in Canada:
[T]ry to spec a car on the U.S. site, I get this:
Five colors? Wait, I mean two colors, and three neutrals. Why do the Canadians get all those colors and not us? Let’s check the UK:
Hm, better, we have nine colors, but still nothing close to Canada! What’s going on here? Who decides this stuff?
(Jalopnik.com)
Toyota's Newest Track Toy
Toyota GR Super Sport Concept is the TS050's prettier, friendlier cousin
Following a teaser last month, Toyota has finally revealed its mysterious sports car concept, and it doesn't disappoint. It's called the GR Super Sport Concept, the GR standing for Toyota's racing division Gazoo Racing, and not only does it look like a prototype endurance race car, it pretty much is one.
Under the curvy bodywork is a chassis and powertrain that Toyota says "is composed of mostly the same main parts" as the company's World Endurance Championship (WEC) hybrid-power TS050 race car. That would also be the same race car that came painfully close to winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans two years ago. You can certainly see the race car background in the car's carbon fiber chassis. It also has race-ready 13-inch-wide slick tires at all four corners. But the highlight is the twin-turbocharged hybrid V6 that makes 986 horsepower.
Of course the chassis is only half the story. The other is that scintillating shell around it. It's very clearly inspired by prototype race cars with the tall, wide fenders over the wheels, the large rear wing, narrow cabin and copious vents. It's definitely sleeker, though. It doesn't have the bulbous headlights of prototype racers. In fact, we're not entirely sure it has headlights, but if it does, they're probably in those hexagons on the front fender, which would match the taillights at the back. The rear wing has also been dropped down for a sleeker profile. It also appears that the cockpit sits higher than the race cars. This may have partly been a styling decision, but also possibly to improve visibility and make it easier to drive.
(AutoBlog.com)
Following a teaser last month, Toyota has finally revealed its mysterious sports car concept, and it doesn't disappoint. It's called the GR Super Sport Concept, the GR standing for Toyota's racing division Gazoo Racing, and not only does it look like a prototype endurance race car, it pretty much is one.
Under the curvy bodywork is a chassis and powertrain that Toyota says "is composed of mostly the same main parts" as the company's World Endurance Championship (WEC) hybrid-power TS050 race car. That would also be the same race car that came painfully close to winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans two years ago. You can certainly see the race car background in the car's carbon fiber chassis. It also has race-ready 13-inch-wide slick tires at all four corners. But the highlight is the twin-turbocharged hybrid V6 that makes 986 horsepower.
Of course the chassis is only half the story. The other is that scintillating shell around it. It's very clearly inspired by prototype race cars with the tall, wide fenders over the wheels, the large rear wing, narrow cabin and copious vents. It's definitely sleeker, though. It doesn't have the bulbous headlights of prototype racers. In fact, we're not entirely sure it has headlights, but if it does, they're probably in those hexagons on the front fender, which would match the taillights at the back. The rear wing has also been dropped down for a sleeker profile. It also appears that the cockpit sits higher than the race cars. This may have partly been a styling decision, but also possibly to improve visibility and make it easier to drive.
(AutoBlog.com)
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