Dope. #30

author: arepatphotography.com

 I miss summer, but this time of year ain't too bad either. Have a safe New Years Eve weekend.

What to watch this weekend during your NYE hangover (Dec 31st - Jan 2nd)

• Wheeler Dealers Marathon. Saturday @ 6am - Sunday @ 6am (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• Off Road Championship. Sunday @ 10am - 11am (Discovery's High Def Theater) replay
• Mille Miglia - The Spirit of a Legend. A look into this historic race. Sunday @ 11am - 1pm (Discovery's High Def Theater - THD) replay
• Top Gear America - Used Car Salesmen. Sunday @ 10pm - 11pm (History Channel/History Channel HD)

More slim pickin's this Winter season. Good thing there are college football bowl games to watch. Oh wait, did I say that out loud? Speaking of shows I don't mention often, Wheeler Dealers is another. WD is a UK based automotive show following a mechanic and salesman who buy cars, do necessary repairs then flip them for profit (sound familiar?). The good thing about this long running television series is that they cover a wide variety of makes and models, from Mercedes-Benz 190E 16-valve Cosworths to Toyota MR2s to Porsche 928s, while providing good insight to buying each model used including typical issues. The key here is finding value in vintage, as there are plenty quality automobiles out there with a hundred thousand miles or two on them.

Photo hosted courtesy of sportseventstravel.co.uk

For the love of P. #6 - GT3R Hybrid

Porsche's continuing R&D on the technology being utilized within the GT3R Hybrid takes them to the Petit Le Mans, on Road Atlanta this past September. No major victory here, but a quality outing with great data to use going forward. This was speculated to be the last appearance of this true Porsche Works team until 2011, but it reappeared to win it's first race at the 1,000km race in Zhuhai. It was definitely good to see the brand push the envelope this year.


Video courtesy of Porsche.

Quick Vid: 24hrs of Silverstone

Chris Harris participates in the 24hrs of Silverstone @ the Silverstone race track in the UK.



Video courtesy of Autocar.

Car Pron: FLD Episode 1000

I was thinking of what the headliner Monday post was going to be, for this last week before the new year, but it couldn't have been better timing. One of my favorite webshows, Fast Lane Daily, whom I've mentioned before on here just celebrated their 1000th episode by filming a special in Germany...at the Ring' to be specific. Enjoy (in fullscreen HD).



Video courtesy of Fast Lane Daily. Keep up the great work guys.

Dope. #29

author: uknown

Happy Holidays.

What to watch this holiday weekend (Dec 24th - 26th)

• Off Road Championship. Friday @ 6pm - 7pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• Chasing Classic Cars. Marathon (both seasons). Saturday @ 10am - Sunday @ 6am
• Top Gear America - Fast in Florida. Sunday @ 10pm - 11pm (History Channel/History Channel HD)

Even though I never mention it, Chasing Classic Cars is a cool little series on High Def Theater that follows a businessman named Wayne Carini (Owner - F40 Motorsports in CT) through his comings and goings in the automotive acquisition, restoration and sales world. If you've never seen it and are interested, you're in luck; there's a all day marathon on Christmas day starting at 10am. Set the DVR and check it out once you're done running around visiting friends and family.

Photo courtesy of Blake Simon

Quick Vid: 78' Mk2 Escort + Ken Block

Nothin' better than fresh HD footage of classic rallye cars getting flogged.



Video courtesy of MonsterWorldRally.

Current Events: Save the Ring!

Unfortunately in this day in age of worldwide financial woes, nothing is safe; this includes the much loved and renowned Nurburgring Nordschleife. For all who aren't aware, this past Spring the Ring's ownership was rented out to two private investors that turned the Ring into a gd amusement park. The glaring problem with the changes they made, outside of taking away from the pureness of Nordschleife obviously, was overestimating how much bullsht they could throw at the park to make money off of the Ring's existing fame. These two private investors obviously bit off more than they could chew (based on inflated attendance numbers) and now, long story short, the Nurburgring is in the hole about 400 million euros (~600 million USD).

There are plenty of reasons why this whole situation has gone unchecked, but at this stage of the game it's all about damage control. Please visit Save The Ring on facebook to join the discussion to work towards a plan of action as well as make your opinion known. It's a little hectic on there currently, but please read through the wall and post your own suggestions and support. Please share this with as many people as possible to increase awareness.



To find out more, please visit the Jalopnik and Worldcarfans articles and more importantly the save the ring facebook page. Thank you ROTL readers for checking this out. Spread the word! One of worlds greatest institutions needs the help of enthusiasts everywhere before it gets any worse.

Quick Vid: Vintage CSL & 934 racing footage

With the holidays around the corner, it's only fitting to bring you more classic footage of the track monsters past. Enjoy.



Video hosting courtesy of fiesematenten.

Car Pron: Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

When you hear the word Bugatti today, it's much like hearing the word Deusenburg for baby boomers and the generation before; world famous build quality, technological innovation, performance and craftsmanship. While both of these pillars of automobile luxury and quality began manufacturing cars early in the 20th century, however, only the Bugatti brand still actively produces cars. From a rich pre-war racing history, to being resurrected in 1987 by  Romano Artioli (responsible for the exquisite EB110), Volkswagen AG (VAG) acquired the Bugatti brand in 1998. Under the VAG umbrella, what we all know as the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron was produced in 2005.

The Bugatti Veyron broke many records held prior to it's release, one of which was the worlds fastest car title (raising the bar to 253.81mph) previously held by the McLaren F1 then Koenigsegg CCR, respectively. The SSC Ultimate Aero TT edged the Veyron out by a couple mph two years later, but in predictable fashion, with the Veyron getting close to the end of it's production cycle, an even more exclusive version has been released this year (2010) called the Veyron Super Sport. Enjoy.



Video courtesy of Motor Trend.

Quick Vid: Buying a Mk3 from a old lady

I don't post videos on Friday unless they're worth it.



Video hosting courtesy of Autoblogger. Possibly the best vw commercial ever.

Dope. #28

author: unknown

What to watch this weekend (Dec 17th - 19th)

• Isle of Man TT - The Monster Supersport TT Race. Saturday @ 11am - 12pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• The Edge - Road Warriors. Vintage road racing at historic Watkins-Glen. Sunday @ 12pm - 1pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• Australian V8 Supercars - From Olympic Park in Sydney, New South Wales. Sunday @ 5pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Ultimate Street Car Invitational. Sunday @ 7pm - 8pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Top Gear America - Beater Boot Camp. Sunday @ 10pm - 11pm (History Channel/History Channel HD)

More vintage road racing, V8 touring car racing and Top Gear America. Enjoy on this last weekend before running around with the family during the holidays. Oh and for those in the Mid-Atlantic and North East, don't forget to get those winter tires on. I'm not looking forward to doing that in this cold.

Photo courtesy of photos.speedtv.com

Quick Vid: Rauh Welt GTG

Yes.



Video courtesy of ysman1999.

Quick Vid: VW Scirocco R and R Cup

Unfortunately we didn't get this little gem in the US, but what else is new. The good news is there are international automotive journalists that bring us reviews of this latest generation of Scirocco so that we can live vicariously. The icing on the cake is that this review includes testing of the VW Scirocco R Cup. CC is available for all of you that don't speak Dutch.



Video courtesy of autoblogger.

Video Series: Chris Harris drives an F1 car.

With the Formula 1 season over, I still get a hankerin' for more action. I'm looking forward to the 2011 season already and while searching the web...well...I'm so gd happy I found these videos. As I've stated many times before (and many more to come) Chris Harris is my favorite automotive journalist and to have him go through the growing pains of learning to drive an F1 (albeit a chassis from 08' - mark webbers old) and share it is an absolute joy. This post is for me, actually. Yea I said it! I'm sure many of you will feel the same way though, so it's a win win ha.







Learning more about what goes into being a driver at this level is always awesome. Thank you Autocar and Chris. Seriously.

Dope. #27

author: unknown

What to watch this weekend (Dec 10th - 12th)

• Isle of Man TT - The Royal London 360 Superstock TT Race. Saturday @ 11am - 12pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• Off Road Championship. Pro 4x4s and 2x4s race at the annual Crandon Cup. Sunday @ 10pm - 12am (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• The Edge: Building a Champion. Teams prepare in the shop before grand am road racing in Miami. Sunday @ 12pm - 1pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• Battle of the Supercars Marathon. Sunday @ 8pm - 12am (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Top Gear America - Halo vs. Velociraptor: The Ford F150 Rapture vs. a Parachutist. Sunday 10pm - 11pm (History Channel/History Channel HD)

Top Gear America and some other notables to check out this weekend. I'm not quite sure what doesn't do it for me, where TGA is concerned, but it feels like that 'what' has a beard and glasses.

photo hosted by e90post.com

Quick Vid: Champ One Motorsports GT3 Cup dyno

Have you ever had one of those experiences seeing a motorsports car in action that makes you want to be a race driver yet again (if you're into that sort of thing)? Well this video does it for me. It reminds me why I love 911s so much.



Video & hosting courtesy of Champonestar.

Quick Vid: BTCC tribute by Top Gear

Top Gear celebrates 50 years of British Touring Car Racing. Enjoy.



Video hosting courtesy of KastaRules.

Car Pron: 2011 Audi R8 V10 GT

Speaking of clubsport cars, Audi's latest offering has hit the streets. The Audi R8 V10 was a spicy meatball already, but with the use of R8s in GT classes of road racing series around the world as well as popularity of hardcore variants of existing popular sports cars, an even more capable R8 V10 was debuted much in the same vain as the Merecedes SLS GT3. This new limited edition flagship has gone on a carbon fibre and lightweight material de jour diet dropping over 200 lbs from the regular V10 model. 553hp, R Tronic paddled semi-auto gearbox, 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds, 199mph top speed, 19" forged wheels, alcantara for days and all the usual luxury appointments you'd expect from an Audi. These would actually undercut Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 sales if there were more than 333 being made.





Videos and in depth testing courtesy of Option Auto.

Dope. #26

Author: unknown

What to watch this weekend (Dec 3rd - 5th)

• Mille Miglia - The Spirit of a Legend. A look into this historic race. Sunday @ 10am - 12pm (Discovery's High Def Theater - THD)
• Australian V8 Supercars - From Sandown International Motor Raceway. Victoria, Australia. Sunday @ 5pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• America's Greatest Racecar - The history of the Shelby Cobra. Sunday @ 8pm - 9pm (Discovery's High Def Theater - THD) (Replay at 11p)
• Top Gear America - Flying Coupe DeVille. Sunday @ 10pm - 11pm (History Channel/History Channel HD)

Top Gear America's third episode, touring car racing from Australia and a special covering the origin and evolution of the Shelby Cobra. The special on the Cobra is a must see for motorsport enthusiasts. Will the in-studio flow of TGA improve as the season progresses? Only time will tell.


photo courtesy of life.com



Quick Vid: M3 vs. RS5

Comparison test between BMWs' E92 M3 vs Audi's RS5, by Autocar.co.uk.


Video courtesy of Autocar.

Quick vid: Miracle Detail - Ferrari 599

Paul Dalton puts his expert stink all over a lovely Ferrari 599 and it smells like OCD heaven. Enjoy.



Video & hosting courtesy of Miracle Detail.

For the love of P. #5 - Porsche Museum

As I've stated in previous posts, this has been a pretty big year for Porsche. In addition to many firsts on the race track and in pioneering hybrid technology, this is the 60th Anniversary of Porsche in America. Fast Lane Daily, a show I watch regularly that follows car news, was in Germany to do record some future episodes of the show and made time to take a tour of the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart while there. There are plenty of things I want to check off my things to do list and visiting the Porsche Museum is one of them. Enjoy.


Our thanks go out to FastLaneDaily for sharing this with us.

Dope. #25

Photo courtesy of vw-speed.nl

What to watch this weekend (Nov 26th - Nov 28th)

• WRC - Great Britain Rally; Days 1 & 2. Saturday @ 9:00am - 10:30am (Discovery's High Def Theater) (Replay/Highlights Sunday @ 10pm)
• GT - Racer: Carrera Pan-Americana Cross Country Race. 3200kms through Mexico. Sunday @ 11am - 12pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• Top Gear America - Tanner Drifts, Aston Martin power issues. Sunday @ 10pm - 11pm (History Channel/History Channel HD)

WRC is just about wrapped up, but another GT Racer episode will make things a bit more interesting. Eat some leftovers and enjoy some late season motorsports action.

Photo courtesy of racerevo.com

 Happy Thanksgiving, foos.

Vintage Racing: Yes.

Gotta love the classics.
Lurid slides, more power than grip, probably super slow.
Can't wait to be old and rich enough to do this.



I'd be devastated to ruin one of these cars,
but then again, that's what they're made for!

dope. #24

Event Recap: DCI VW - Toys for Tots 2010

I went to my first DCI Toys for Tots (T4T) event back in 07'. I had a good time seeing out of state friends and a couple cool cars, probably showed up too late, but said 'yea, I'll do that again'. Three years later and I finally made sure to mark it off on my calendar (ahem). The goal of this event is contributing gifts (or money for gifts) for the many underprivileged children in the U.S; Christmas is around the corner. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a Santa Claus (or two) provide them an enjoyable holiday season. The Marine Corps organizes T4T toy collection via campaign offices and local supporting organizations in all 50 states and D.C. This event, which was held at FDR Park in Philadelphia (PA), was organized by DCI VW - a worldwide-known/active VW Enthusiast club also known as Dubsquad.

While there are cars and the typical action you'd get from a larger Automotive GTG, the biggest difference is that it's no longer show season. Also, there's a skate park under the overpass where the gathering takes place, so along with auto enthusiasts, local hipsters, skaters, bmxers and posers all share a half of a football field worth of space for an afternoon. It's a surprisingly good time, but bringing your party with you definitely is a big part of how long you stay. My buddy Dan griddled up some great grilled cheeses in the back of Rob's Vanagon double cab and we all enjoyed some conversation away from work and weekly nonsense.

Until next year then. Oh and thanks for the parking ticket in a place where there aren't any signs saying 'No Parking', City of Philadelphia! Summabtch. For more information on how to donate locally to Toys for Tots, especially if you didn't click on either link above, please visit the US Marine Corps Toys for Tots site here.

Ancient DTM footage proves everything was scarier back then.

I mean c'mon!



thanks, eloyf1!

Was dope. #1

Photo courtesy of volksforum.com

What to watch this weekend (Nov 18th - Nov 21st)

• Off Road Championship - The Kumbo Pro 4x4 class combine with the Amsoil Pro 2WD. Friday @ 4pm - 5pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• GT - Racer: Magny Cours: Drifting and endurance racing at Magny Cours in France. Sunday @ 11am - 12pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• Montery Motorsports Reunion - Honoring Dan Gurney. Sunday @ 3pm - 4pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Australian V8 Supercars - Symmons Plains; from Symmons Plains Raceway in Launceston, Tasmania. Sunday @ 5pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Top Gear America - Premier episode. Sunday @ 10pm - 11pm  (History Channel/History Channel HD)

Vettel took the F1 Championship in Abu Dhabi like a big dog, but now the season is over. Aww. The 2011 F1 season should be even better and will be here before we know it. In the meantime, the Aussies are still tearin' up the tarmac and there's more GT Racer. I guessed right on the whole season being re-aired. Oh and I almost forgot...after years of back and forth with different networks, Top Gear America debuts on the History Channel. I hope it lives up to the legacy that precedes it.

photo courtesy of carmiddleeast.com

Quick Vid: Ford Escort RS Cosworth

Ford Escort RS Cosworth...I've thought more and more about these AWD gems from the early 90s lately, so I figured I'd dig up some history and share with those needing enlightenment. This automobile was the result of homologation for the Group A Rallye car Ford and Cosworth built a few decades back. In this clip Jeremy Clarkson does a spot on the demise of this and many other great sports cars of 'the day'. Even though this was broadcast when I was in middle school it almost feels like groundhogs day; as emissions and safety restrictions grow tighter worldwide, bidding adieu to future classics happens about every 7-10 years.



Video hosting courtesy of schon74.

Classic Vid: Porsche 936 Qualifying lap @ 1977 Le Mans.

Nothing better than classic racing footage. Enjoy.


Video hosting courtesy of Purmser.

Car Pron: BMW M3 GTS

Track-ready Clubsport cars that you can buy directly from the manufacturer have been getting popular in the last several years. In essence it's the greatest thing you can hope for as an enthusiast with a wallet capable of tracking a higher end sports car; you get factory power upgrades, factory braking and chassis upgrades. More importantly you get all of these goodies with a warranty as well as exclusivity of models sold. The Porsche 911 GT3/GT3RS model has been the leader of this front for some time, with Challenge and Scudaria variants of Ferrari's base sports car models echoing the sentiment from Maranello. BMW has now entered the arena with a clubsport version of their latest (E92) M3, the M3 GTS. The V8 engine from the base M3 has grown in size to 4.4 Litres (a la E39 540i), putting out 450hp. Weight has been reduced (over the base M3) by a few hundred pounds even with the addition of a roll cage, enormous 14.6" front disks and an adjustable rear wing. Price tag? $170k USD. While I applaud BMWs' efforts to take care of their track loving customers' whims (customers outside of the US mind you, as it isn't going to be available here), I would by a 911 GT3RS for that money. I'm still golf clapping though.



Video hosting courtesy of Proukraine.

Dope. #23

author: unknown

What to watch this weekend (Nov 12th - Nov 14th)

• Off Road Championship - The champion is crowned at the Hig House in Crandon, Wisconsin. Friday @ 4pm - 5pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• Race of Champions 2009 - Champion racing drivers of recent years compete in a variety of autos for bragging rights. Saturday @ 11am - 12am (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• Formula 1 - Abu Dhabi Gran Prix; from the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi in UAE. Qualifying. Saturday @ 8am- 9:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Formula 1 - Abu Dhabi Gran Prix; from the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi in UAE. Race. Sunday @ 7:30am - 10am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) (Replay @ 4:30p)
• GT - Racer: Nurburgring: Classic cars race on the track in Nurburg GermanyLe Mans, France. Sunday @ 11am - 12pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)

There's only one event that should be on your radar this weekend and that's the Formula 1 finale in Abu Dhabi's ridiculously extravagant Yas Marina Circuit and motorsports park. The Manufacturers Championship has already been claimed by Redbull Racing in Brazil, but the Drivers' Championship will be decided in this last race of the year. Four pilots have a chance to win the championship; Vettel, Webber, Hamilton and Alonso. Let see how this shakes out...hell yea.

Image courtesy of timeoutabudhabi.com

Happy Veterans Day to all our servicemen and women out there, active, retired and passed.

Quick Vid: ABT R8 V8 Supercharged vs. MTM R8 V10

You don't need to speak German to understand this comparison! I wish ABT and MTM had a bigger presence in the states; I'd love to see an ABT R8 on the road.



Video courtesy of Motorvision.

Orbital Dreams. #2

Even though it's no longer warm enough in most places to inspire car washing and detailing in the driveway, it's always detailing weather in the garage. Our second detailer to be showcased in this series is the one and only Paul Dalton of world famous Miracle Detail. He's the guy with a briefcase containing twenty grand worth of Swissvax, taking private jets to clean the cars of the well to do and famous. Anyone who knows me knows I love keeping my cars clean, and of course Paul is a bit of a role model on this front. I've spent the past year or so getting my paint correction skills (and tools) together to maximize what I have, but inspiration isn't very far away when I need motivation. We'll show more of Paul Dalton's work in the future, but in the meantime let's get to know his detailing basics.

Video hosting courtesy of 3M Car Care.

Car Pron: SLS AMG GT3

As with all of the high end sports coupes from the worlds best automakers (read Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini), a GT3 spec variant of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has been released in order to compete in the GT3 class. Here is one of Mercedes' official release videos to help give a closer look.


Video hosting courtesy of Auto Tuning News.

While the verdict on the SLS AMG street car (on the track) is full of mixed reviews, it appears this fully modular track version will be plenty competitive. Watch the track testing video of this beast here.

Dope. #22

author: unknown

What to watch this weekend (Nov 4th - Nov 7th)

• Australian V8 Supercars - Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, Australia. Thursday @ 12pm - 2pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) (Replay)
• Off Road Championship - Classic short course off road racing in Crandon, Wisconsin. Friday @ 4pm - 5pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• WRC - Spain Rally. Preview & Days 1 through 3. Saturday @ 9am - 11am (Discovery's High Def Theater) (Replay/Highlights Sunday @ 10pm)
• Formula 1 - Brazilian Grand Prix; from Cicuito Carlos Pace-Interlagos, San Paolo, Brazil. Qualifying. Saturday @ 12pm - 1:30pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Formula 1 - Brazilian Grand Prix; from Cicuito Carlos Pace-Interlagos, San Paolo, Brazil. Race. Sunday @ 10:30am - 1pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) (No Replay)
• GT - Racer: Le Mans: Classic cars race on the track in Le Mans, France. Sunday @ 11am - 12pm (Discovery's High Def Theater)
• D1 Grand Prix - All-Stars at Fuji International Raceway in Shizoukaken, Japan. Sunday @ 4pm - 5pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)

This weekend is chock full of awesome. I even put the V8 Supercars race replay of last weeks airing in the mix, because of news that DTM Racing specs should make their way to the Australian V8 Supercars series (among others) within a couple years time. The F1 drivers chase is about as wide open as it gets and WRC is a now race for 2nd place, but there is a nice addition to the menu; GT Racer. This Hi-Def mini series debuted on THD last year, much to my personal enjoyment. GT Racer is a documentary style look at those who participate in classic automotive racing; self-funded, enthusiast, tribute racing in original spec. There were six episodes in the series, so look around the web for the others (hopefully THD is replaying the entire season). Turn the furnace back on and enjoy the weekend.

Photo courtesy of clbuzz.com



White Wagon: day one.

Well, it's here.

The 91 passat wagon has come home,
and it's time to get to work.

And do i have a lot of work ahead of me. Front suspension is mostly toast, and the motor needs a complete teardown. There are also small issues in the interior, mostly broken trim pieces that I'll scavenge over the next several months. A full and complete scrubbing in and out is also in the cards.

First, however, was to get rid of the grime on the corrado "sebring" wheels. They won't be on long, but they need to be serviceable while they're there. A quick acid wash (I love the 80's!)and a high pressure spray down was enough to get about 90% of the years of baked on crud to relinquish its devilish grip. However, there's quite a bit of stains leftover, so it looks like a spray down with some generic oem-wheel-silver-in-a-can is in the future. With the clamp on wheel weights on the outside of the wheel, however, this step will have to wait until i can have them rebalanced. The crubbage is great, as well, so a mild scuff down will commence immediately prior. In the meantime, a quick blowover on the centercaps got it looking respectable enough from ten feet.

Next on the list will be a repair to the passenger control arm. The rear bushing is almost completely shot, due to the oil/coolant mixture pouring itself onto the original 150,000 mile units and wearing it out even faster than normal. A temporary setup will be dispatched immediately to remedy this particularly annoying situation as I clunk down the road.

A complete 16v refresh will start probably in December, as well as a full suspension refresh. OEM +/- is the order of the day, with upgrades as I go along. Until then, here's a pic or two to tide us all over.

before:


after:


Little things!

Quick Vid: Chris Harris' perfect 911

I forgot about this classic vid from years past and found it once again. Enjoy.



Video hosting courtesy of ahpadt.

Quick Vid: Autocar - Britains Best Driver's Car 2010

It's a light week here on ROTL, but thankfully Autocar fits the bill. One of these days I need to buy another Autocar mag for the living room...


Video courtesy of Autocar of course.

dope. #21

Blast from the past, back before MAX POWER turned into a softcore porno mag.

Car Pron: Gentleman Drivers Club @ Nordschleife

I found this great ring video not too long ago. What was interesting wasn't just the fact that one of my favorite women on earth, Sabine Schmitz, was performing a ring taxi service for those looking to experience a lap of the Ring', in a GT3RS driven at the limit by an expert driver, but also that this was actually part of an organized effort of a new company; The Gentleman Drivers Club. This company gives enthusiasts opportunities like this one, to experience famous race tracks and road venues with professional drivers. For Sabine, of DMotor and Motorsport fame, it was just another day on the job. Enjoy.



Video hosting courtesy of GentlemanDriversTV.

Dope. #20

author: unknown

What to watch this weekend (Oct 30th - Oct 31st)

• Mille Miglia - The Spirit of  a Legend. A look into this historic race. Sunday @ 10am - 12pm (Discovery's High Def Theater - THD)
• D1 Grand Prix - Fuji International Raceway in Shizoukaken, Japan. Sunday @ 2pm - 3pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Australian V8 Supercars - Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, Australia. Sunday @ 3pm - 5pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)

Slim pickins this weekend, but I suggest you check out the THD special on the famous Mille Miglia race. This is a documentary from 2007, which looks into the bloodline of this historic one thousand mile endurance event; it also shows how this 'tribute race' is held in current day (Mille Miglia Storica) compared to its raw motorsport roots originating in 1927 (Mille Miglia).

Photo courtesy of Drew Phillips of Fast-autos.net

Quick Vid: Renault F1 Engine Test

I love Formula One for a lot of reasons, one of which is the technology put into motorcycle-like revving, small displacement, high cylinder count motors. One of the better classic videos showcasing the development and bench testing of these engines is one of testing done by Renault. If you look around the web for vids like this, from a year or two ago you won't see any. Thankfully due to the high turnover and progression of F1 technology across competitive Works teams, older (unclassified) information from decades past isn't hard to come by. Enjoy.


Video hosting courtesy of PyroPower94.

Driving in the USA - Speed Cameras

I drive a lot on a weekly basis. By a lot I mean just under 600 miles a week, sometimes more depending on what I get into on weekends. Accordingly, I have to watch out for a lot of things to keep my traveling expenses as low as possible. There are many things that can ruin my day during a (should be) one-hour trip to or from work; traffic, ill-timed traffic lights, slow drivers on one-lane roads, poor weather conditions and those too scared to drive normally and safely in it...the list goes on and on. Now a days, however, speed cameras (fixed or mobile) are the newest obstacle to slalom.

Now understand that I have no problem with speed limits or needing to slow down traffic in situations which could become dangerous, but since the inception of speed cameras (and red light cameras for that matter) in the DC & Baltimore Areas I've been cynical of the true intentions of these devices. On a daily basis I make it a point to locate and obey the mobile speed camera units that occupy I-95 construction areas, always trying to stay out of the rolling shot frame that some unaware motorist is cruising into, as well as ensuring no un-speed-camera-aware big riggers speeding downhill to save fuel is behind me, to avoid accidents and/or needing to fight a ticket I don't have time for. One of these days I'll record my ~53 mile trip to work and put it on ROTLtube, but until then trust me when I say it's a jungle out there.

One of my favorite daily automotive news coverage programs on the web, FastLaneDaily (see the 'Web Entertainment' page on the top right), has a Thursday only program called The Road Testament. This weekly program covers a variety of interesting and discussion provoking topics and wouldn't ya know it, they had an episode on speed cameras last week. Take a look.



While part of me says I shouldn't piggy back on their video and steal interaction between their viewers an them, I'm fine with it in this case as would've come to this point anyway with or without backup from outside sources. I planned on having a whole series on sht that pisses me off while behind the wheel, when I came up with the idea for this site, but I've bit my figurative tongue due to the inherent need to revise the manner in which I did so first. I recommend you all to subscribe to FastLaneDaily, because I think you all will enjoy it. If this video speaks to you, comment on youtube to share your views with FLD. On our side of things, for all our ROTL readers here, I want to start discussions about things like this on our FB page (I'm one step ahead of ya), but you can feel free to answer the following question in the comment section below this post as well.

While I'm very proud to say ROTL has over 50 countries represented in our readership (hell yea), this discussion is mainly for those of you in the USA. To our foreign friends, feel free to chime in on the matter, but please state the country you're from in your posts for clarification. On to the question then; in my opinion, the quality of drivers in this country has dropped drastically over the past 10-15 years that I've been driving. Why do you think that is? How can this be turned around?

For the love of P. #4 - Singer Porsche

The ultimate Porsche.

Whether you pronounce it with one syllable or two, your favorite car has been an early 911 with a hotted up motor. It's gotta be one of those bright colors, not quite psychedelic, but certainly eye catching and classic. "Ach!" I hear you exclaim, "but what of reliability?". Of course. Every nut and bolt, every piece of rubber, of metal and fibre remade, reformed, or replaced. "Ach Lieber! But what of the performance!" How about modern brakes, modern tires and sizes, but all in a classic mold? Well, they've gone and done it.

Singer Vehicle Design has brought a classic shape into the modern world. Nearly every panel has been reworked with carbon fiber, or retrofitted with modern verisons of relatively ancient technology, all in the name of Porsche. Just look at this frontend! Projectors retrofitted into original glass from the 70's, and look at the trick way those foglights were integrated into the marker lights next to the turn signal. The attention to detail is unbelievable.

"Restored, Reimagined, Reborn"

I'd say they nailed it.

Check out founder Rob Dickinson's interview on Adam Carollas "Carcast". It's a great podcast for automotive enthusiasts, and he's got a bit of a softspot for the euro crowd.

See more pictures here and here

potential: determination

don't know the story, but a hell of a rescue.
dedication doesn't begin to describe the love and obsession that goes into some peoples dreams.
good work, people.

Dope. #19

author: unknown

What to watch this weekend (Oct 21th - Oct 24th)

• Ultimate Street Car Challenge - 40 tuner cars battle it out for supremacy. Friday @ 9pm - 10pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Formula 1 - Korean Grand Prix; Korean International Cicuit in Yeongam, Korea. Qualifying. Sunday @ 1am - 2:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• GT3 Racing - Road Atlanta. Sunday @ 12pm - 1pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Formula 1 - Korean Grand Prix; Korean International Cicuit in Yeongam, Korea. Qualifying. Sunday @ 1:30am - 4am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) (Replay @ 4:30pm)

After much controversy over the last second construction of the race track in Korea, their new track is about to debut. Teams will take to the course for Practice on Friday morning at 1am EST (SPEED). Only time will tell if this promotional video turns out to be reality.


Video hosting courtesy of World Car Fans.

Russ' Mk2

Couldn't be happier for Russ and the attention he's been getting for his jetta.

A rolling list of classic mods: Rallyes, bay, leather, beebs. He's been pickin' and peckin' at this thing from day one, and he's almost finally happy with it.

Good job, duder!

Thanks to Sam Dobbins for his pictures and work, check out his calendar!

dope. #18

potential

gourmet sandwich truck just waiting to happen

Titan Movie 2.0 Team Ghost

An abstract preview of a movie that I can only hope is coming soon.

Check out their facebook page and have a stroll through their archives.

Party on, dudes.

one of the first

1965 911

potential

great blend of OEM and custom metal.
can't wait to see the motor.

Current Events: The New Lancia Stratos

Lancia as a company has had a long and rich history. Unfortunately in current times Lancia automobiles are simply rebadged 'luxury' Fiat models, much like the now defunct Mercury was for Ford models across the range. There has been a push in the past year or so to resurrect some of the true soul of the brand, with the modern update of the Lancia Stratos. The Stratos, of World Rally Championship (WRC) fame, was the wide track, wedge shaped, short wheel base car that dominated the WRC in the mid 70s. Homologated in 1974, the street legal version of the Lancia Stratos ran the 190hp 2.4L V6 out of the Ferrari Dino. In race trim, it made anywhere from ~300hp to 500hp+ with a single turbo arrangement. While 190hp doesn't sound like much, it propelled the street version to 60mph in under 5 seconds; saying the Sratos was light is quite the understatement. This was ground-breaking road legal performance in the 70s, let alone decades to come.

The Lancia Stratos did well in WRC arena, but this wasn't the only form of motorsport it participated in. The Stratos was even reconfigured for closed-track endurance racing against other notable big turbo cars of the time like the Porsche 935. While the Stratos didn't do well in endurance racing, it was competitive and serviceable platform used by many private works teams until 1981.

Fast forward to 2010 and mid-development of the phase of the new Lancia Stratos (in black):



Author: Unknown




This car you see here, in black, is a one off vehicle produced by the legendary coachworks Pininfarina for independent financier Michael Stoschek. While reports say there will be a slightly different version of this one-off modern Stratos produced directly under Lancia, as a super limited run model much like it's predecessor, this is good look at what the new version will be. This prototype uses the Ferrari F430 Scuderia motor installed in the same MR arrangement.


Video courtesy of Italia Speed TV.

After several months of rumors surounding the development of this car, footage of the prototype being tested is finally out for public consumption.


Video hosting courtesy of YT user Tonyvoxdeejay.

I really want to see the completely finished product. Pininfarina will definitely be the subject of future posts as they've been responsible for some of the best autos on the planet for the past 60+ years.

Dope. #17

Author: Air-Mike