CARS & RACE GLOBALMAG May 2015

May 2015

31

digital monthly magazine

SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW CHEVROLET FNR concept

New AUDI Q7

CITROﾃ起 Aircross

CONTENTS

31

May 2015

4 15

4 15

FRONT PAGE RAM Texas Ranger

AUTONEWS Shanghai Motor Show May news

40

30

30

MISS OF THE MONTH

40

FOCUS

Citroën Aircross Concept

New Audi Q7

digital monthly magazine

72

56 60 64 56

GLOBAL NEWS

72

CLASSIC

Lister Cars reborn ‘Knobbly’ The Peugeot Foodtruck Place your bid!

Old small business

CGM

FRONT PAGE

Ram Unveiled A New Concept Truck

THE RAM TEXAS RANGER

The

Ram Truck brand recently unveiled a one-of-a-kind Texas Ranger concept truck to commemorate and promote the brand’s partnership with the renowned law-enforcement agency and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.

Introduced by Ram Truck Brand President and CEO Bob Hegbloom at the 2015 Dallas Auto Show, the Ram Texas Ranger concept truck brings the legendary spirit of the Rangers to the road.

The Ram Texas Ranger

More Texans drive pickup trucks than drivers in any other state; 20 percent of motor vehicle registrations versus 12 percent national average. In fact, Ram sells nearly two-anda-half times as many pickup trucks in Texas as it does in the nexthighest volume state.

In 2002, Ram Truck was the first manufacturer to recognize the strength of the pickup truck market in Texas and to offer an exclusive edition for the state.

The Ram Lone Star edition was the first pickup truck designed

by Texans and built specifically for Texans.

Since the Lone Star’s debut, Ram has sold more than 230,000 of the Texas-only models.

“The Ram team developed this commemorative concept truck in order to further highlight our relationship with the Texas Rangers and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum,” said Bob Hegbloom, President and CEO – Ram Truck, FCA US LLC. “Although Rangers are well-known horsemen, today Texans drive more pickups than drivers in any other state in the country.”

Both inside and out, the Ram Texas Ranger edition celebrates the Rangers and the iconic silver Lone Star Ranger badge.

The Ram Texas Ranger edition concept truck is identified by unique Texas Ranger badging designed to represent the Mexican five-peso coins from which Ranger badges are tooled.

The coin was minted from 1947 through 1948 and was the basis for the first official Texas Ranger star badges. The coin was re-tooled to the star-and-wheel shape worn by today’s Rangers.

Representative of those star-and-wheel badges, large five-pointed milled-aluminum emblems are mounted to front driver and passenger-side fenders. A third milled-aluminum Texas Ranger badge adorns the concept truck’s tailgate. Each of the four polished-aluminum 20-inch wheels also gets a milled-aluminum Texas Ranger center cap.

The Texas Ranger edition is painted in a Bright White and Bright Silver Metallic two-tone color scheme that embodies the white hats and silver badges that the good guys always wear.

The Ram Texas Ranger

At the 2014 State Fair of Texas, Ram Truck announced a new partnership with the Texas Rangers, aiding the preservation of the history of the renowned law-enforcement organization.

In partnership with the FCA Foundation, Ram’s support is helping to perpetuate and promote the heritage of the Texas Rangers via the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco.

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is the official historical center of the Rangers and is preparing for the Texas Ranger Bicentennial in 2023.

The Ram Texas Ranger

Of course, the Ram Texas Ranger concept’s interior is loaded with Ranger design cues as well. Starting with the etched Canyon Brown and Tan leather and tooledmetal details that distinguish Ram’s luxurious Laramie Longhorn edition, Ram’s designers have loaded the concept truck with unique Texas Ranger edition accents.

Among the most notable are four real Mexican five-peso silver coins inlaid within the wooden portions of the door bolsters.

Front doors have the obverse or “heads” side and rear doors contain the reverse or “tails” side of the coin.

Although the Ram Texas Ranger edition was designed as a one-of-a-kind concept that will tour Texas and help build awareness for the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum, officials have not ruled out a possible production run. No timing or pricing for a possible future Texas Ranger edition was announced.

The museum was established as the official historical center of the Texas Rangers in 1964. Since its founding, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame has grown to include a museum, Texas Ranger company headquarters, State Hall of Fame, library and archives, an educational center serving nonprofits and a banquet facility.

In preparation for the 200th anniversary of the Texas Rangers, the Texas Public Safety Commission has appointed the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum as their representative and steward for the Texas Ranger Bicentennial™.

The Ram Texas Ranger

The Texas Rangers, America’s oldest state law enforcement agency, are gearing up for their landmark 200th anniversary.

Today’s elite Rangers trace their founding to 1823. The first Rangers were minutemen and scouts protecting farms, ranches and settlements on a hostile frontier. Remarkably, Rangers have upheld the law over the span of three centuries; they are the only American lawmen to have served under five flags: Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, Confederate Texas and the U.S. again.

CGM

INTERMEETING LA SOCIETÀ CHE ORGANIZZA AUTO E MOTO D’EPOCA A PADOVA PRESENTA IL NUOVO SALONE

FIERA DI VERONA

IL NUOVO GRANDE EVENTO ITALIANO DEDICATO ALLE AUTO D’EPOCA. 8 -9-10 MAGGIO 2015 PREVIEW

VUOI VENDERE LA TUA AUTO D’EPOCA O LA TUA INSTANT CLASSIC? Portala a Verona Legend Cars.

Contatta la segreteria organizzativa o visita il nostro sito e prenota il tuo spazio in Fiera.

VUOI ORGANIZZARE UN RADUNO DI CLUB IN FIERA? Vuoi organizzare un raduno per il tuo Club di auto d’epoca? Ti aspettiamo in fiera con tanto spazio per ospitare le auto dei soci.

E sarai nostro ospite all’Arena di Verona.

Per informazioni contatta la segreteria organizzativa.

Segreteria organizzativa: Intermeeting Srl - Via Fornace Morandi 24 - 35133 Padova T +39 049 7386856 - Fax +39 049 9819826 - e mail: info@veronalegendcars.com - www.veronalegendcars.com

AUTONEWS

BMW

X5 xDrive40e

Celebrating

its world premiere at Auto Shanghai was the BMW X5 xDrive40e Sports Activity Vehicle, the first plug-in hybrid production model from the BMW core brand. Permanent all-wheel drive and the BMW EfficientDynamics eDrive technology endow the BMW X5 xDrive40e with sportiness control. With a total system output of 230 kW/313 hp generated by a four-cylinder petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and a synchronous electric motor, the BMW X5 xDrive40e achieves a combined fuel consumption of 3.4 – 3.3 litres per 100 kilometres (83.1 – 85.6 mpg imp) and a combined electricity consumption of 15.4 – 15.3 kWh over the same distance. CO2 emissions come in at 78 – 77 grams per kilometer.

Auto Shangai

Chevrolet FNR

The

Chevrolet-FNR is an autonomous electric concept vehicle that offers a glimpse at mobility of the future.

It was developed in Shanghai by GM’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) joint venture. The Chevrolet-FNR boasts a futuristic capsule design. It has crystal laser headlights and taillights, dragonfly dual swing doors, magnetic hubless wheel electric motors and a wireless auto-charge system. In self-driving mode, the vehicle’s front seats can swivel 180 degrees to face the rear seats, creating a more intimate setting. The driver can switch to manual mode through the gesture control feature.

Citroﾃｫn Aircross

Citroﾃｫn

gave the world its first look at a new bold concept car: THE CITROﾃ起 AIRCROSS. Balanced design creates a strong identity and an extraordinary impact for an SUV. Discover the CITROﾃ起 AIRCROSS in our Miss of the Month chapter!

Auto Shangai

Lexus ES

The

sixth-generation ES was developed based on a reinforced platform providing excellent performance.

A re-sculpted front fascia connects to the hood adding the sensation of motion even when the car is standing still. The sleek shape continues with the ES’ roofline that flows effortlessly to the rear, where an improved, modern taillight design evokes the “L”-shaped theme furnishing an instantly recognizable nighttime glow. To complement the new form, two 17-inch wheels with directional spoke patterns have been developed. Four new exterior colors join the ES palette: Amber, Nightfall Mica, Caviar, and Eminent White Pearl.

McLaren 540C Coupé

The

540C Coupé is fitted with a mid-mounted 3.8-litre twin turbocharged V8 engine. As its name suggests, the Sports Series dedicated application of the award-winning McLaren power unit generates 540PS at 7,500 rpm and 540Nm of torque at 3,500-6,500 rpm. At the heart of the 540C, as with the 570S, is the unique carbon fibre MonoCell II chassis which has been newly designed offering improved ingress to and egress from the cabin, along with class-leading occupant protection and safety. Power is delivered through the rear wheels via a seven-speed seamless shift gearbox (SSG) sees the 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint completed in 3.5 seconds, 0 to 200km/h (124mph) in just 10.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 320km/h (199mph). Pricing for the 540C Coupé starts from £126,000.

Auto Shangai

Nissan Lannia

Nissan

unveiled the all-new Lannia at Auto Shanghai 2015, a culmination of vision taking the car from concept to reality. Design and development was led by Nissan Design China, backed by the Nissan Global Design Center. The new model boasts Nissan’s latest iconic design signatures, such as the V-motion grille, kick-up C-pillar, floating roof and boomerang-shaped headlights. Lannia features integrated infotainment technologies designed exclusively in China, including an advanced audio system with smart-phone connectivity and a seven-inch multimedia display screen.

Venucia VOW

Venucia

, a local brand by Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company, unveiled the VOW Concept at Auto Shanghai 2015. VOW is the abbreviation of “Venucia Over Wonder,” meaning a complete breakthrough in excellence. The forward thinking and bold design is paired with a bright blue body inspired by Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, a high plateau near the crest of the Andes Mountains with captive fresh and saltwater lakes and the world’s largest salt flat.

Auto Shangai

The

Volkswagen C Coupé GTE & Scirocco GTS

progressive C Coupé GTE illustrates a new design approach for future top saloons at Volkswagen.

The C Coupé GTE has one of the world’s most advanced plug-in hybrid drive systems. It consists of a turbocharged petrol direct-injection engine (TSI) with four cylinders, an 8-speed automatic gearbox, an electric motor integrated in the gearbox module and a lithium-ion battery. The TSI engine produces 155 kW / 210 PS, while the electric motor has a power output of 91 kW / 124 PS. The hybrid drive develops a system power of 180 kW / 245 PS and an impressive system torque of 500 Nm. This mode enables driving with zero local emissions and a range of 50 kilometres.

Due to its 162 kW / 220 PS TSI engine and a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 6.5 seconds, the latest version of the Scirocco GTS is very agile. Eye-catching exterior features – besides 18-inch “Norwich” alloy wheels (or optional 19-inch “Lugano” wheels) and styling elements of the R-Line exterior pack (including bumpers in “R Styling”, side sill extensions, roof spoiler and diffuser) – include its particularly striking red brake callipers.

Volvo

XC90 Excellence

The

XC90 Excellence is based on Volvo’s new XC90 sports utility vehicle, but the similarity ends there. The XC90 Excellence has just four seats compared to the original’s seven, creating additional space for rear seat passengers. The XC90 Excellence offers its passengers footrests, ambient lighting, illuminated storage and unique leather detailing in blond or charcoal, a luggage compartment dividing screen, additional sound insulation in the cabin and Pirelli Noise Cancelling System tyres. The XC90 Excellence will be available globally later this year and via digital commerce in selected markets.

CGM

AUTONEWS

May

Cadillac ELR

The

ELR electrified luxury coupe will offer a host of upgrades for the 2016 model year, including boosts in acceleration, driving performance and connectivity. Major product upgrades include a more than 25 percent boost in power and torque, faster acceleration that improves 0-60 mph by 1.5 seconds, higher top speed, retuned chassis and steering for better handling, more responsive brakes and a new Performance equipment package. Distinguished by a new grille and Cadillac’s new crest, the 2016 ELR, which features the first application of extended-range electric vehicle technology by a full-line luxury automotive brand, will start at $58,495. The ELR offers a full driving range of up to 330 miles (530 km), combining pure electric driving and an efficient, range-extending 1.4L gasoline-powered engine-generator.

Callaway Corvette

The

2015 Callaway Corvette Z06 is based on Chevrolet’s track-proven Z06. While advertised Callaway horsepower and torque are pending final validation, the Callaway package adds Callaway’s new GenThree supercharger system with 32% more displacement than the stock Z06 supercharger, improved manifold design and unique triple-element intercooling system. Optional equipment includes, ShortThrow Shifter, Callaway Sport Exhaust with Double-D Tips and Embroidered Car Cover. The Callaway Corvette Z06 Package price: $16,995.

Autonews MAY

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition

Chevrolet

introduced the 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition – a road-going, track-capable homage to the Corvette Racing C7.R racecars.

Only 500 examples of the C7.R Edition will be built and all will include the Z07 Performance Package with carbon ceramic brakes, as well as a specially serialized vehicle identification number. The Z07 Performance Package includes Brembo carbon ceramic-matrix brake rotors, adjustable front and rear aero components for aerodynamic downforce and Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 tires for enhanced grip.

Donkervoort B8 GTO Naked Carbon Edition

The

new Bare Naked Carbon Edition emphasises the high-tech, ultra-light, super-fast nature of the D8 GTO through a unique combination of lightweight visible carbon fibre components and the powerful Audi 2.5L R5 TFSI pure sport engine. Both the exterior and interior of this GTO consist almost entirely of this super-strong, ultra-light material. The exterior, in visible carbon fibre from nose to diffuser. The carbon-look is also carried through to the interior, in elements such as the seats, door panels, window frame, dashboard and door sills.

Autonews MAY

FIAT

500c 1957 Edition

The

FIAT brand continues to celebrate the storied past of the historic Nuova 500 with the addition of a cabrio version of the popular Fiat 500 1957 Edition, which was introduced in 2014. The Fiat 500c 1957 Edition features a premium dual-layer power-operated cloth top, a contemporary solution to the famous canvas roof on the original Cinquecento. With just the push of a button, the Fiat 500c 1957 Edition’s power-operated cloth top retracts up to the rear spoiler during speeds up to 60 mph. Press the roof button again, and the roof will neatly fold all the way open and tuck neatly behind the rear head restraints (up to 50 mph). Pricing for the limited-production model starts at $24,700 U.S. MSRP, just $1,900 more than a base Fiat 500c Lounge.

SEAT Alhambra

Seat

is continuing its product offensive with the new generation of the Alhambra. The versatile van is up to 15 percent more fuel efficient thanks to its new engines and even more dynamic thanks to increased power output. The line-up of petrol and diesel engines has been completely redeveloped. The Alhambra TDI with 85 or 110 kW is at the very forefront of its segment with fuel consumption of 4.9 litres/100 km and 130 grams of CO2 per km. The 2.0 TDI engines are offered with 85 kW / 115 PS, 110 kW / 150 PS and 135 kW / 184 PS (torque 380 Nm). The two TSI petrol engines produce 110 kW / 150 PS and 162 kW / 220 PS (350 Nm of torque) from the topof-the-range version, marking 20 PS more than the previous engine. The TDI variant with 110 kW / 150 PS is also available as a 4Drive with permanent all-wheel drive.

CGM

MISS OF THE MONTH

New Citroën Aircross Concept Car

AN INVITATION

TO TRAVEL

CitroĂŤn Aircross boasts unique presence among SUVs with its overall balance and flowing design, giving the protective and welcoming concept car a strong identity and a resolutely optimistic spirit. The cabin brings occupants a new approach to car travel with a modern, bright, fresh and functional design.

Dialogue and sharing are facilitated in a connected SUV with outstanding graphic interfaces and equipped with plug-in hybrid technology

Citroën Aircross

As

it celebrates its 50 millionth car sold since the creation of the Brand some 95 years ago, Citroën is unveiling a surprising, creative and bold new concept car, one that confirms its ability to develop a positioning that is international and different.

Citroen Aircross illustrates the Brand’s international ambitions, rolling out its positioning initiated with the C4 Cactus with a body style intended for sale around the world. The new Citroën Aircross shakes up design cues while respecting SUV essentials. Drawing on the product and styling traits of the C4 Cactus, the body design and cabin ambience express a sense of modernity and a singular spirit.

Citroën Aircross

A SINGULAR ATTITUDE Blending power and positive energy, Citroën Aircross is a protective and welcoming SUV. The resolutely optimistic vehicle casts off any sense of aggression in favor of a singular, pure and optimistic personality, through the overall balance of the body styling, with a horizontal emphasis and underscored by flowing and organic forms punctuated by strong graphic components including “Alloy Bumps” and “Air Signs”. The global result is heightened by

orange-red body paint symbolizing energy and serenity and innovative materials denoting robustness.

An Invitation to travel in a cabin bringing an immediate sense of consummate comfort and the generation of energy.

Everything inside Citroën Aircross was designed to foster physical and mental wellbeing. In addition to the physical comfort provided by the broad and generous seats, well-being is further heightened by

Physical well-being is fostered by “kingsize� seats. The seat backs are open and welcoming, inviting passengers to embark on a new kind of travel experience.

The generous, wraparound headrests contribute to the overall feeling of comfort. The upper parts of the seats are finished in a mesh-like material that lends a warm and inviting feel.

This reinterpretation, both highly technical and futuristic in its 3D treatment while echoing vintage materials, evokes pleasant travel memories for all passengers and constitutes a source of inspiration of CitroĂŤn designers.

Citroën Aircross

warm materials and a blend of light and invigorating colors. The purely-drawn lines with their crosswise emphasis suggest space, while the ample geometric shapes structure the uncluttered interior, each one combining aesthetics with functionality.

Citroën Aircross posits a new take on the travel theme with specially designed storage compartments and the use of straps in a fresh and contemporary cabin inviting passengers to take to the road together and in their own style.

TECHNOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE The occupants will be able to choose between sharing and an individual experience. The concept car is equipped with two 12-inch HD screens, one of which is mobile and can be passed from one passenger to another. Each seat is equipped with speakers and microphones to encourage dialogue between passengers.

Technological intelligence is also expressed in the choice of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, combining efficiency and top-level performance. Citroën Aircross features meaningful technologies for relaxed mobility and a new travelling experience.

The Citroën Aircross concept car has just been unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show, a symbolic choice of venue given the importance of the Chinese market for Citroën, accounting as it does for 25% of total sales and standing as the Brand’s number-one market.

CitroĂŤn Aircross

Citroën Aircross TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS DIMENSIONS Length: 4.58 m / Width: 2.10 m / Height: 1.73 m PLUG-IN HYBRID DRIVE TRAIN 1.6 THP petrol engine:

power 218 bhp (160 kW) / torque 275 Nm

Electric motor on rear axle: power 95 bhp / torque 200 Nm ZEV mode:

range of 50 km

PERFORMANCE, FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS 0 to 100 km/h:

4.5 seconds

Fuel consumption:

1.7 l/100 km, MVEG combined cycle

CO2 emissions:

39 g/km

RUNNING GEAR Continental 275/45 R 22 tyres

CGM

FOCUS

The New Audi Q7

Great class and

SPORTY AGILITY Up to 325Â kilograms less weight and the low center of mass make it extremely agile. At the same time, it is the most spacious car in its segment. Although the exterior dimensions have gotten smaller, it offers substantially more interior room for passengers and luggage. The efficient engines consume 26Â percent less fuel on average. First diesel plugin hybrid with quattro drive

The New Audi Q7

The

new Audi Q7 is an extremely comfortable companion. It tracks smoothly and confidently on the highway and spoils its passengers with a high level of rolling comfort.

20 years of experience with lightweight construction flow into the new Audi Q7.

Equipped with the 3.0 TDI engine, the new Audi Q7 tips the scales at just 1,995 kilograms (4,398 lb), which is 325 kilograms (716.5 lb) less weight – the equivalent of a concert grand piano. The Q7 with the 3.0 TFSI engine is even lighter, weighing just 1,970 kilograms (4,343.1 lb).

Lightweight construction has been applied in all areas, from the electrical system to the luggage compartment floor. The key is the body structure, where a new multimaterial design reduces its weight by 71 kilograms (156.5 lb). This places the new Q7 among the best in its segment.

Ultra-high-strength parts made of hotshaped steel form the backbone of the occupant cell. Aluminum castings, extruded

Audi offers another groundbreaking innovation as an option: all-wheel steering.

A steering system with an electric spindle drive turns the rear wheels inward by as much as five degrees depending on the situation. At low speeds they steer opposite the front wheels, which significantly increases vehicle agility and reduces the turning radius by up to one meter (3.3 ft).At higher speeds the rear wheels follow the movement of the front wheels. This further optimizes steering response, and vehicle stability is further enhanced, for example in avoidance situations.

The New Audi Q7

Audi is breaking new ground in rear seat entertainment.

One or optionally two Audi tablets with 10.1 inch screens and a fine finish serve as rear seat monitors. Their heart is a powerful NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor. The Audi tablet can stand up to the demanding challenges in the car – it is temperature-resistant and offers the necessary crash safety lacking in conventional end-device solutions. The Audi tablet is connected to the MMI navigation plus via WiFi, thus gaining access to the radio, media, navigation and car functions of the Audi Q7.

A rear seat passenger can, for instance, send a navigation destination to the MMI navigation via the Audi tablet. The passenger can also surf the Internet via the WiFi connection. At the end of the trip, the Audi tablet can be removed from its mount and used offline or on any external WiFi network.

sections and panels are used in the front and rear ends as well as the superstructure. They account for 41 percent of the body structure. Other parts made entirely of aluminum are the doors, which shave 24 kilograms (52.9 lb) of weight, the front fenders, the engine hood and the rear hatch. Audi uses new manufacturing methods for the production and assembly of the parts. The crash safety and occupant protection of the new Audi Q7 are also on the highest level.

The new Audi Q7 already offers excellent comfort even with the standard steel suspension. Rolling is even smoother with the adaptive air suspension, which is managed by a newly developed central vehicle control unit that manages all body control systems.

The standard Audi drive select driving dynamics system works together with the adaptive air suspension to offer seven modes: efficiency (available for the first time on the Audi Q7), comfort, auto, dynamic, individual, allroad and lift/offroad. Depending on the equipment installed, Audi drive select integrates various technology modules, including the eight-speed tiptronic, the electromechanical power steering, the all-wheel steering and the engine characteristic.

EXTERIOR DESIGN The proportions have changed compared with the previous model. The big SUV is 37 millimeters (1.5 in) shorter and 15 millimeters (0.6 in) narrower while virtually the same height.

The design of the new Q7 is masculine and determined. Horizontal lines extend above the wheels. These blisters are a subtle homage to the classic quattro mo-

dels from Audi. The exterior mirrors are mounted on the shoulders of the doors; blades run from the front to the rear doors and bear embossed quattro logos.

The rear hatch wraps around the massive, steeply raked D-pillars, a typical feature of the QÂ models from Audi.

The Singleframe grille is deeply sculpted and features thick crossbars. It is integrated organically into the front end. Its broad frame extends to the headlights, which feature either xenon, LED or Matrix LED technology, depending on the option chosen by the customer. The daytime running lights of the LED headlights are shaped like a double arrow. The taillights of the top model include dynamic turn signals – another Audi innovation.

The New Audi Q7

X

At the beginning of April, the new Audi Q7 was in Namibia for the “Last Approval Drive”. On the final approval drive, Prof. Dr. Hackenberg and his chief development engineers from Technical Development performed the last fine-tuning of the Audi Q7: “The new Q7 also marks the debut of the second-generation modular longitudinal platform, the Audi technology matrix for models with longitudinally mounted engines. Efficient development and manufacturing provide Audi with the flexibility to offer new technologies and drive variants.

The new Audi Q7 is a statement of our competence.”

The New Audi Q7

Four of the eleven exterior colors available for the Q7 are new. All of the trim strips adorning the body of the big SUV have a matt aluminum-look finish for a sporty, modern appearance. Bolt-on parts such as the door inlays and underbody protection front and rear come standard with a silver paint finish. In the base configuration, the bottom section of the bumpers and the wheel arches are anthracite, textured plastic. These are also available in the body color as an option. Borrowing from the bolt-on parts, the radiator grille is finished with a new, lightly structured paint that underscores the off-road character of the car.

The Audi Q7 e-tron quattro, which will be launched a short time later, is the first plug in hybrid from Audi with a diesel engine. It impresses with 275 kW (373 hp) of system output and a system torque of 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft), and is also the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid with quattro all-wheel drive in the premium SUV segment. It consumes in the NEDC just 1.7 liters per 100 kilometers (138.4 US mpg), which corresponds to less than 50 grams CO2 per kilometer (80.5 g/ml). A full battery charge is sufficient for a distance of 56 kilometers (34.8 ml).

INTERIOR DESIGN The new Audi Q7 welcomes its passengers with an atmosphere of cultivated elegance and spaciousness. The interior design appears tautly stretched; the twopiece inlays are available in various material combinations. The double application strip in the doors provides for a sense of lightness.

A wrap-around running from the doors through the instrument panel to form a sort of protective shield gives the driver and passengers a feeling of protection. The interface components are tailored specifically to the Audi Q7. They are located on the center console, which is oriented toward the driver. The shapes and contours of the interface components harmonize well with the interior architecture. The ambient lighting uses LEDs exclusively.

The instrument panel is separated horizontally into two colors, which enables brighter colors to be used on the bottom.

There are seven interior colors from which to choose. The two-piece application strip is available in a variety of material combinations. Besides high-quality effect finishes, there are a number of aluminum and wood variants from which to choose, including Beaufort walnut. Audi offer a choice of fabric, Alcantara, robust cricket leather and fine Valcona leather for the seat coverings.

With the colors and materials used in the Q7, Audi is showing a new expression of lightness, sportiness and luxury in the premium SUV segment. The instrument panel is separated horizontally into two colors, which enables brighter colors to be used on the bottom. There are seven interior colors from which to choose. The two-piece application strip is available in a variety of

The New Audi Q7

X Audi equips the big SUV standard with a newly developed, two-zone automatic air conditioning system. Its new operating concept uses fewer buttons and controls. Animated symbols in the display, the high-quality TFT display and the capacitive toggle switches provide for intuitive operation of the air conditioning. Audi also offers the option of a luxurious four-zone system, the temperature displays of which are integrated into the rotary dials.

material combinations. Besides high-quality effect finishes, there are a number of aluminum and wood variants from which to choose, including Beaufort walnut. Audi offer a choice of fabric, Alcantara, robust cricket leather and fine Valcona leather for the seat coverings.Â

With the longest cabin in its class despite shorter exterior length, the new Audi Q7 offers more space than its predecessor. Passengers enjoy more head, shoulder and knee room. The space concept is highly variable.

Audi provides an extremely comfortable three-seat unit with adjustable seatbacks for

the second row. If desired, all three seats can each be moved longitudinally up to 110 millimeters (4.3 in), 10 millimeters (0.4 in) more than before. Front seat choices are standard seats, standard seats with climate function, sport seats, sport seats with pneumatics and the customized contour seat.

The New Audi Q7

If all seven seats are occupied, the cargo compartment of the new Audi Q7 has a capacity of 295 liters (10.4 cu ft), 770 liters (27.2 cu ft) in load configuration. The five-seater offers 890 liters(31.4 cu ft) and 2,075 liters (73.3 cu ft) with the second row seat backs folded down.

PLAYFULLY EASY The latest generation of the Audi MMI operating concept makes it easy to control the multitude of convenient and innovative functions in the Audi Q7. The innovative MMI search with intelligent suggestions makes it easier to search for specific song titles and to input telephone contacts or navigation destinations, thus significantly reducing the amount of time spent on these operations. Nearly all entries can be completed in just a few steps. Two supplemental menus contain intelligently linked functions and options. The focal point of the operating system is the newly developed MMI all-in-touch control unit with a full touch surface. Each input is followed by an acoustic and a haptic confirmation – a click that is also felt on the finger.

The driver can enter characters on the large touchpad or perform multi-finger gestures to zoom in on the map or scroll through lists, for example. The main functions can be accessed using the high-quality rotary pushbutton and two rocker switches. The driver can also assign personal favorites, such as navigation destinations, telephone numbers or radio stations, to eight freely programmable buttons.

The essential control logic of the Audi MMI is also reflected in the new multifunction steering wheels. Customers can operate the onboard computer with its vehicle

information and information for the driver as well as operate the audio system with the thumb of their left hand. Depending on the equipment installed, telephony and navigation functions can also be controlled via the steering wheel.

Another highlight is the voice control system. It is now much simpler. Drivers no longer have to stick to predefined commands. The system understands phrasings from everyday language, meaning that hundreds of command variations are possible for each function.

Audi offers various levels of the infotainment modules for the new Q7. The MMI radio plus is standard in Germany.

This offers interfaces for external devices such as mobile phones or memory cards.

The standard Audi sound system delivers excellent sound quality from its ten speakers. It is controlled using the MMI terminal on the center tunnel, which comprises a rotary pushbutton, two options buttons and four main function buttons.

THE ENGINES The new Audi Q7 is coming to the European market with two powerful and highlycultivated V6 engines: a TDI and a TFSI. Thanks to intensive refinements, their CO2 emissions have been reduced by as much as 50 grams per kilometer (80.5 g/ mi). Both engines comply with the Euro 6 emissions standard.

The powerful 3.0 TDI produces 200 kW (272 hp) and 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of torque. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) takes 6.3 seconds; top speed is of 234 km/h (145.4 mph). Average fuel consumption is just 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers (41.3 US mpg), which equates to

With the S line exterior package the bumpers, the air inlets, the side sills, the roof spoiler and the diffuser feature a particularly bold design. The radiator grille and the slats in the lateral air intakes feature a newly developed, progressive, dark gray, high-gloss finish that replaces the familiar high-gloss black.

The New Audi Q7

CO2 emissions of 149 grams per kilometer (239.8 g/mi). The V6 diesel has been systematically designed for minimal internal friction and efficient thermal management. The 3.0 TDI is extremely smooth, which is also due in part to the switchable hydraulic engine bearings. They ensure that engine vibration is low and conduct little noise into the car.

The 3.0 TFSI produces 245 kW (333 hp) and 440 Nm (324.5 lb-ft) of torque, accelerating the big SUV from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 6.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph). Its mechanical compressor, which provides charging, is deactivated when operating at part load. This technique contributes to the low consumption of 7.7 liters per 100 kilometers (30.5 US mpg) in the NEDC, corresponding to 179 grams CO2 per kilometer (288.1 g/mi).

A second variant of the 3.0 TDI with 160 kW (218 hp) and 500 Nm (368.8 lb-ft) of torque will follow at a later date. This efficiency model will further reduce the CO2 emissions of the 3.0 TDI, setting new standards for efficiency.

Another engine is the 2.0 TFSI with an output of 185 kW (252 hp) and 370 Nm (272.9 lb-ft) of torque. It is planned primarily for the Asian markets and the U.S.A.

THE NEW EIGHT-SPEED TIPTRONIC Smooth, fast, lightweight and efficient.

In the new Audi Q7, a newly developed, eight-speed tiptronic transfers the engine’s power to the quattro permanent allwheel drive system. The torque converter transmission shifts gears smoothly and is very efficient. It offers a free-wheeling function when the driver steps off the gas. A new vaporization system enables the engine to run at extremely slow speeds below 1,000 rpm. Besides automatic mode, the driver can also choose to control the tiptronic using the standard paddles on the steering wheel or via a selector lever. In both cases, the commands are transmitted purely electrically (by wire).

The self-locking center differential – the heart of the quattro all-wheel drive system – is integrated into the housing of the eightspeed tiptronic. It is significantly lighter and more compact than the transfer case of the previous model, and with its optimized locking rates provides for outstanding traction and handling. Under normal driving conditions, the center differential distributes the power between the front and rear axle in a 40:60 ratio. If the wheels of one axle lose grip, it can extremely quickly transfer as much as 70 percent of the power to the front and a maximum of 85 percent to the rear.

The new Audi Q7 comes standard with 18-inch wheels and 235/65 tires. Audi and quattro GmbH offer a large number of additional wheels in sizes up to 21 inches as options. Large, vented brake discs bring the SUV safely to a stop. They are gripped up front by aluminum six-piston calipers. The electromechanical parking brake, updated with convenient hill hold and startup functions, acts on the rear wheels.

Audi Q7 3.0 TDI quattro tiptronic (200 kW) TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE / ELECTRONICS Engine type

V6 diesel engine with exhaust turbocharger

Displacement in cc

2967 / 83.0 x 91.4 / 16.0

Max. power output in kW (hp) / at rpm

200 (272) / 3250 - 4250

Max. torque in Nm (lb-ft) / at rpm

600 (442.5) / 1500 - 3000

Emissions class

EU 6

Start-stop system

Switches the engine off if the vehicle is stationary and the brake is engaged.

DRIVETRAIN / TRANSMISSION Drive type

quattro permanent all-wheel drive

Clutch

Hydraulic torque converter with lock-up clutch

Transmission type

8-speed tiptronic

Brake system

Dual circuit brake system split between axles (ABS)

Wheels / tires (basic)

8.0Jx18� / 255/60 R18

PERFORMANCE Top speed in km/h (mph)

234 (145.4)

Acceleration

0-100 km/h (0-62.1 mph) in sec 6.3

DIMENSIONS Length in mm (ft)

5052

Wheelbase in mm (ft)

2994 (9.8)

Luggage compartment volume l. (cu ft)

890 (31.4)

CGM

GLOBAL NEWS

A classic car .......or not?...

The first customer ‘Knobbly’ continuation racer has been completed at Lister Cars factory and is ready for delivery.

Built to the very same specification as the original 1958 ‘Knobbly’ it uses the late Brian Lister’s original drawings and manufacturing jigs. Metallic silver example is the first of a limited production run of ten cars but overwhelming response means Lister is considering three final special editions

......................

Lister Cars

The

first of Lister Cars’ reborn ‘Knobbly’ racers has recently rolled off the production line at the Lister factory in Cambridge. Built to Brian Lister’s original specifications for the 1958 ‘Knobbly’, this customer car is the first of a sold-out production run of ten cars, but overwhelming demand has meant Lister is considering three additional one-off ‘final editions’.

All ‘Knobbly’ models are built to meet relevant FIA racing regulations and are powered by a race-prepared Jaguar D-Type 3.8-litre straight-six, producing 330bhp.

Customers are able to compete in a series

of historic Lister race meetings taking place in 2015.

This particular ‘Knobbly’ has been finished in a stunning metallic silver with a lustrous dark green leather interior. Like all ‘Knobbly’ continuations, it has incredible performance, capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 181mph (around 290 km/h).

Lister Cars chairman Lawrence Whittaker said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to see the first customer ‘Knobbly’ roll off our production line in Cambridge – it’s a testament to our fantastic team and a fitting tribute to the memory of Brian Lister.”

CGM

GLOBAL NEWS

The vehicle combines innovative new experiences to deliver high-quality food on the go

The Lion

launches a bistro The Peugeot Foodtruck was dreamt up and designed by Peugeot Design Lab, the carmaker’s Global Brand Design studio, and dubbed Le Bistrot du Lion.

The new restaurant on wheels will take up residence at the French Pavilion at the 2015 World’s Fair, Expo Milano (Italy), where the theme will be “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.”

Peugeot’s story began over two hundred years ago in France, a country now known for both its culinary delights and automobile industry, and it is no coincidence: both fields are underpinned by precision, chemistry and innovation. As early as 1810, the Peugeot family’s grain mill was converted to begin manufacturing saw blades. From there, the brand continued to expand at a swift pace; the first Peu-

geot coffee mill was sold in 1840 and in 1874 the first Peugeot pepper mill-whose mechanism has a lifetime warrantee.

In 1882, the first Peugeot vehicle, the Grand-Bi Penny-farthing bicycle, made its debut, followed shortly thereafter by another visionary machine: the first Peugeot automobile. Since then, Peugeot has sent more than 65 million motor vehicles out onto the world’s roads.

In 2015, Peugeot is the only brand in the world that continues to manufacture tableware while also designing and producing vehicles-automobiles, bicycles and scooters-by the millions.

The Peugeot Foodtruck

With over 200 years of industrial experience, Peugeot put its expertise to work to launch Peugeot Design Lab in 2012. The Global Brand Design studio works for external clients (Bombardier Transport, Groupe Seb, Quechua, Airbus Helicopter, Alstom, Micro, etc.), striving to help them develop powerful, and coherent brand strategies.

Its primary mission is to design products, services and experiences in every sector outside the automotive industry.

These two centuries teeming with ideas, ingenuity and bold design have now given rise to an innovative take on the food truck: Peugeot’s unique vision for a roving restaurant that caters to the senses to keep customers coming.

As Cathal Loughnane, Head of Peugeot Design Lab, explains, “The end-users are always at the heart of all of our designs.

For the Peugeot Foodtruck, we wanted to create a complete food truck experience, not only creating a kitchen for the chef but a restaurant and cafe for the customers.

A lot of attention was given to opening up the kitchen and allowing the chef and food preparation to be as close to the public as possible. We also wanted to create a real sense of surprise as the compact Peugeot Foodtruck transforms into amphitheatre like dining space Le Bistrot du Lion”.

The Peugeot Food Truck is compact and perfectly suited to an urban environment.

Its short front and rear overhangs providing enhanced manoeuvrability, while its long wheelbase offers considerable load volume. Once on site, the Peugeot Food Truck spreads its wings to double its width to offer a versatile space that can easily be adapted to a variety of environments and events. Le Bistrot du Lion includes areas for food preparation, dining and refreshments, as well as a DJ booth—capitalizing on the new digital music platform launched by the brand, Peugeot Music, which offers web radio and exclusive playlists. To make sure everyone gets the most out of the experience, the Peugeot Foodtruck comes equipped with everything needed to feed 30 patrons comfortably inside Le Bistrot du Lion, with a collection of standing tables all shaded under Umbrosa parasols.

A responsible attitude: Le Bistrot du Lion is designed to recuperate and recycle all waste and insure that once folded up Le Bistrot Du Lion leaves the city in exactly the same state as when it arrived.

Foodies can watch the chef’s every move thanks to a 46-inch screen and a

sound system by leading French speaker-maker Focal. The speakers retransmit even the faintest sizzle of the food on the stovetop with astounding accuracy and are great for live sound when hooked up to the Le Bistrot du Lion mix table, which French DJs Adriano and The Reflex took for its first spin.

To ensure the Peugeot Food Truck was completely functional and in compliance with all standards and food hygiene regulations, Peugeot Design Lab turned to Euromag, the French food truck specialist.

The professional-grade preparation and cooking appliances are all designed to be multifunctional, in order to adapt to the inspiration and talents of any chef and type of cuisine, from fine dining to fusion and molecular gastronomy. On board, chefs enjoy two grilling plates grilling and 4 induction burners as well as a deep fryer.

The ventilation system ensures optimum air quality and a 400-litre refrigerated under-foot compartment makes sure food stays fresh. A 350-litre refrigerator keeps the drinks cold, and a professional espresso machine by Rocket Espresso provides patrons with delicious coffee to conclude their meals.

CGM

GLOBAL NEWS

Place

by Niccolò Gargiulo

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, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions®, set multiple records at its 13th Annual Palm Beach auction in Florida, on April 17-19.

The event generated sales of over $22 million at an amazing sell through rate of 98.3%, as well as an impressive group of consignments, bidders and the largest number of attendees in the event’s history.

The event attracted more than 60,000 guests over the three-day weekend, while the number of bidders increased by 28 percent. A total of 526 vehicles crossed the block over the extended weekend.

Among the notable sales was an ’87 Buick Grand National GNX (Lot #387) that set a world record going to the highest bidder at $165,000. In these pages we show you the top 10 best-selling cars of the auction.

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CGM

CLASSIC

History with segment dates to the 1930s

OLD SMALL BUSINESS From Canopy to City: Chevrolet Means Small Business

The 1939 Chevrolet Half-Ton Canopy Express is a precursor to the all-new Chevrolet City Express.

The 1949 Chevrolet Canopy Express is a precursor to the all-new Chevrolet City Express.

Ever

since vendors have peddled produce to passersby on the streets of busy cities, Chevrolet has provided vehicles that allows them to reach their customers.

Beginning in 1936, Chevrolet sold the Chevrolet Canopy Pickup – a vehicle based on the popular FB-series half-ton pickup truck. Owners could upfit these vehicles with an optional canvas canopy top and side-drop curtains. During its first model year, Chevrolet saw truck registrations top 200,000 units for the first time in company history. Thirteen years later, the Chevrolet Canopy Express was unveiled.

It was one of 345,000 Chevy Trucks built in 1949. Both the 3100 Series (half-ton) and 3800 Series (1-ton) included variants of the Express model. The 3800 was heavier duty and sported a low rear tailgate

and waterproof roll-up curtains, allowing sellers easier access and better protection for their products.

“Before super markets became commonplace, vendors brought produce and baked goods to the buying public in city neighborhoods and the suburbs that were beginning to sprout up across the country at that time,” said Greg Wallace, manager, General Motors Heritage Center. “The Canopy Express body type was suited for any job that needed easy access to the bed of a truck.”

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling around 4.8 million cars and trucks a year.

CGM

PIC OF THE MONTH

The Fast Lane Truck (TFLtruck) has named the 2015 Ram 3500 with 6.7-liter Cummins the winner of its inaugural Gold Hitch Award in the heavy duty diesel segment.

globalmag

RACEGM

# 15 May 2015

Ricciardo’s waltz !

Photo Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool

TOUR DE FRANCE AUTO 2015

PIC OF THE MONTH

April D1GP Rd1 Tokio Drift Photo by Naruyoshi Shinohara

CONTENTS

FRONT PAGE

Daniel’s Wiener Walzer

WTCC

Never seen before

ENDURANCE

Such a close battle!

RALLY

Sweden Flag on New Zealand The third straight win

CLASSIC RACES

The human traction control system Douce France

VIDEO

PADDOCK MIX SPECIAL

Welcome Formula Lites

RACE GLOBALMAG is an extra issue of digital monthly magazine CARS GLOBALMAG. Chief Editor: Vittorio Gargiulo All rights reserved. All materials present in this magazine including, but not limited to texts, photographs, illustrations, video clips and other materials are protected by copyrights and/or other intellectual property. The material and content provided in this application is for your personal, noncommercial use only, and you agree not to distribute, copy, extract or commercially exploit such material. You further agree not to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, modify, adapt, translate, prepare derivative works from this magazine.

FRONT PAGE

The Red Bull Live Demo team criss-crosses the globe, taking Formula One to places it doesn’t usually go

DANIEL’S VIENER

Photo Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool

WALZER

DANIEL’S VIENER WALZER

On April 22 it was Daniel Ricciardo in the hot seat, putting the RB8 through its paces in an arena constructed in front of the historic Vienna Rathaus. A crowd of 60,000 turned up to cheer on Daniel, as he roared around the

purpose-built arena during his three runs, laying down rubber and displaying his mastery in the noble art of donut. “The thing about driving in the city is that obviously the roads are a lot dirtier than a

racetrack, there’s lots more dust and it’s very slippery – but that just makes it better for events like this,” said Daniel, “because we can really spin the tyres and create a bit more of a show for the fans.”

DANIEL’S VIENER WALZER Daniel’s efforts were supported by enduro and trials rider Chris Pfeiffer, putting on a terrific display of two-wheel stunts.

Also on the bill was Pierre Gasly, fresh from his GP2 debut in Bahrain, making a slightly

unfamiliar NASCAR dance and skip, wheels squealing and smoke pouring from the arches as he spun it first anticlockwise and then – just for the novelty value – clockwise.

While the Live Demo team really

don’t need a reason to put on a show, the April’s event took place to publicise the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

“The event went really well – the backdrop was amazing,”

DANIEL’S VIENER WALZER concluded Daniel. “We’ve been to some pretty cool places but this is definitely one at the top of the list – hopefully it gave the fans who came out a small taster of what they can expect at Spielberg in June.”

The event ended with a live concert and everyone went home happy – hopefully thinking about a trip to Styria in two months’ time. Of course, there’s a few races to contest before our thoughts turn to the Austrian

race – is the Circuit home of

and first on the list annual May date at the de Barcelona-Catalunya, the Spanish Grand Prix.

RGM

WTCC

For the first time in its motor sport history, Citroën has claimed the top five spots in an international competition

NEVER SEEN

BEFORE…

Sébastien Loeb (Citroen C-Elysée WTCC)

PIT STOP Sébastien Loeb: “After a frustrating qualifying day yesterday, the races have gone well. We managed to improve the car’s setup, and everything went OK. I got away brilliantly in race 1 and immediately found myself in third. Mehdi was hot on my heels, and I had to hold him off all through the race. I tried to keep up the pressure on Yvan, but overtaking a four-time World Champion who had the same car as me was nigh on impossible!”

NEVER SEEN BEFORE...

Encouraged by the balmy weather, spectators flocked to Marrakech’s Moulay El Hassan circuit to witness the third and fourth races (April 19) of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

WTCC champion José María López and four-time title winner Yvan Muller were the street heroes of Marrakech with the Citroën Racing aces coming out on top of two thrilling contests that formed

Eurodatacar WTCC Race of Morocco.

López bagged race one glory from pole with Muller repeating the feat in the second 14-lap chase for WTCC success. China’s Ma Qing Hua scored his first podium of 2015 with the runner-up spot in the opening race as Sébastien Loeb held off home hero Mehdi Bennani for third. Muller converted pole to victory in race two despite intense pressure from Loeb. López battled back from 10th to third to remain in control of the title race with a 17-point advantage after four rounds.

Bennani’s fourth in race one gave him the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy laurels as Tom Chilton secured the category honours in the second event at the wheel of his privateer Chevrolet.

PIT STOP José María López: “Thanks to all the team for a fantastic weekend. I had to fend Ma off at the start of race 1. He was really close, so I had to attack quite hard to open up a bit of a gap.

Often, I feel quite relaxed after winning the first race. This time, though, I was feeling anxious because I didn’t want to lose too many points against Yvan and Seb. I got off to a good start and managed to avoid the accident at the first turn. After that, I gradually made my way up the field and ended up on the podium. It was quite unexpected, but it’s a great result as far as the Championship is concerned.”

Jose Maria Lopez (Citroen C-Elysée WTCC)

NEVER SEEN BEFORE...

Yvan Muller (Citroen C-Elysée WTCC)

NEVER SEEN BEFORE...

Gabriele Tarquini (Honda Civic WTCC)

NEVER SEEN BEFORE...

Both rounds at the sun-baked Circuit Moulay El Hassan street course produced plenty of drama with Tom Coronel forced out of the first race following contact with Chilton. Coronel was also out of luck in race two when he clashed with Honda’s Tiago Monteiro at turn one following a bump from the pursuing Norbert Michelisz. Former champion Rob Huff was eliminated in the second race after a hefty hit from LADA team-mate Mikhail Kozlovskiy nearing the completion of the opening lap.

“Our drivers have just written a new chapter in Citroën motor sport history” – said the Citroen Racing General Manager Yves matton – “Their quintuple success is testament to the speed and reliability of the C-Elysée WTCC, as well as the close-knit nature of our team. Pechito and Yvan turned their qualifying results into race wins, while Seb once again showed the progress he has made, with two podium finishes. Qin Hua also put in a good performance, and it’s great to see him showing what he can do like that. Congratulations must go to Mehdi Bennani, too. He shone in front of his home crowd and won the private drivers’ trophy.”

Tom Chilton (Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1)

NEVER SEEN BEFORE...

Mehdi Bennani (Citroen C-Elysée WTCC)

NEVER SEEN BEFORE...

James Thompson (Lada Vesta)

Stefano D’Aste (Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1)

PIT STOP Ma Qing Hua: “I’m happy with my second place. I wanted to battle it out with Pechito and I tried my luck at the very beginning, when the gap was still small. But our pace was similar and it wasn’t easy. I was going well in race 2, but my brakes got hot while I was following the other drivers. I crashed off into a wall, but I was able to continue and make sure I finished.”

Mikhail Kozlovskiy (Lada Vesta)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER STANDINGS after 4 races 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

José-María López Sébastien Loeb Yvan Muller Ma Qing Hua Tiago Monteiro Gabriele Tarquini Mehdi Bennani

93 points 76 points 57 points 37 points 36 points 34 points 28 points

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MANUFACTURER STANDINGS after 4 races 1.

2.

3.

Citroën Honda Lada

190 points 118 ppoints 30 points

RGM

ENDURANCE

A great start for the World Endurance season

SUCH SUCH AA CLOSE CLOSE BATTLE! BATTLE!

In the presence of FIA President Jean Todt, the FIA World Endurance Championship delivered in Silverstone (April 12) first class entertainment at the beginning of the 2015 season. “I don’t think it’s possible to deliver more thrilling motorsport than this,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “The duels we saw were motorsport at its best.”

Pictures of crew members in the

Audi, Porsche and Toyota pits shaking their heads in disbelief, followed by heated discussions or beaming faces, could be seen more often than usual during the live TV broadcast from Silverstone.

“It was an amazing race – both in the cockpit and watching my two team-mates on track” said André Lotterer, one of the protagonists of the race. “That was great advertising for the WEC.”

SUCH A CLOSE BATTLE! The duel between Marcel Fässler in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro and Neel Jani in the Porsche, that was spectacular but fair throughout the race, was a particularly hot topic. The regulations promote different technological concepts. As a result, Fässler and Jani kept overtaking each other – in some cases several times per lap.

You probably couldn’t have imagined a better start in your new role at Audi Sport…

“You’re absolutely right!” says Audi Sport Head of Engineering Jorg Zander “The start was near-perfect. Everyone can only congratulate themselves on this season opener – at Audi Sport, as well as everyone in the WEC in general. That the three ma-

Audi R18 e-tron quattro #8 (Di Grassi, Duval, Jarvis)

Toyota TS040 HYBRID #1 (Davidson, Buemi, Nakajima)

nufacturers fought such a close battle with each other is simply fantastic. For us of course, it is particularly important that we found the car to work as well as it did. This, by the way, applies to the Michelin tires as well. Plus, the team and the drivers did a tremendous job in this exciting race.”

Isn’t it amazing that three manufacturers continue to develop their cars, making huge strides in the process, but ultimately the lap times are so close together again?

“This shows the extremely high level of the work being performed. The cars have become clearly faster compared with last year – nearly 3.5 seconds in race trim. This is phenomenal and demonstrates the development work that has been accomplished. That the three different concepts pro-

Former Formula One driver Mark Webber (Porsche 919 Hybrid)

SUCH A CLOSE BATTLE!

Porsche 919 Hybrid (Dumas, Jani, Lieb)

PIT STOP Neel Jani (Porsche LMP1 driver): “This was quite an interesting race with great battles.

Especially fighting with Marcel Fässler was good fun. This is what racing is for! It is a shame that in the end it didn’t work out for us to take the win when the leading car had the stop and go penalty. It became quite tight again. It is great that all three manufacturers are so close together. This is going to be an exciting season. In the end I was really able to attack with our Porsche 919 Hybrid. We have improved the car a lot since last year. There is still some work to do, but we are going in a good direction.”

SUCH A CLOSE BATTLE! duce lap times that are within tenths of a second speaks for the regulations. For the series and the spectators, this is simply fantastic. At Silverstone, we had suspense for six hours at an extremely high level and an absolute heartbeat finale. I don’t think I was the only one who was thrilled by this …”

The new Audi R18 e-tron quattro made an outstanding impression on track.

“The development team of Audi Sport in Neuburg and Neckarsulm really did a tremendous job.

Before Silverstone, there were still a few minor details we had to adjust but in the race the car was running superbly.”

Audi R18 e-tron quattro #7 (Fässler, Lotterer, Tréluyer) followed by the Audi #8, driven by Di Grassi, Duval and Jarvis

Where do you see the strengths of the new R18 compared to your competitors?

“At Silverstone, it was obvious that we had an advantage in the challenging cornering sections, while the Porsche with the larger hybrid system did on the straights. These differences, however, were equalized on a whole lap and this makes the WEC so thrilling. The crucial aspect was that our drivers were able to achieve an advantage in the cornering sections that enabled them to defend their position on the following straight.”

Silverstone was only the first step. Le Mans is the big aim again this year. There is probably still a lot of work to be done until then?

“Yes there is. We’re moving right along. Testing the car that is conceptually modified for Le Mans is on the agenda, as well as the normal endurance tests. At Silverstone, the car was running for the six hours nearly without any problems. In addition to suspension set-ups, the systems now have to be tested for the endurance run at Le Mans.”

Silverstone 6 Hours (April 12) final top ten

1. Fässler/Lotterer/TrÊluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) 2. Dumas/Jani/Lieb (Porsche) 3. Davidson/Buemi/Nakajima (Toyota) 4. Conway/Sarrazin/Wurz (Toyota) 5. Di Grassi/Duval/Jarvis (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) 6. Rusinov/Canal/Bird (Ligier-Nissan) 7. Yacaman/Derani/Gonzalez (Ligier-Nissan) 8. Dalziel/Sharp/Heinemeier Hansson (HPD-Honda) 9. Leventis/Watts/Kane (Dome-Nissan) 10. Bruni/Vilander (Ferrari)

201 laps +4.160s +14.816s -1 lap -4 laps -16 laps -17 laps -18 laps -23 laps -29 laps

SUCH A CLOSE BATTLE!

PIT STOP Anthony Davidson (Toyota LMP1 driver): “It is great to win the Richard Lloyd Trophy (as the best -performing member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club) and particularly nice to have won something today! This is never a circuit which plays to the strengths of our car and we usually struggle a bit here; last year’s one-two was helped a bit by the weather. I’m looking forward to the next races when I think we will be stronger. Hopefully as we get to circuits where tyre wear is a bigger factor that will play to our strengths.”

Toyota TS040 HYBRID #1 (Davidson, Buemi, Nakajima)

SUCH A CLOSE BATTLE!

Audi R18 e-tron quattro #7 (Fässler, Lotterer, Tréluyer)

RGM

RALLY

International Rally of Whangarei 2015

SWEDEN FLAG ON NEW

W ZEALAND

Pictures courtesy of www.rallywhangarei.co.nz / Geoff Ridder Photography

Debuting to the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) Swede pairing Pontus Tidemand and codriver Emil Axelsson has won this year’s International Rally of Whangarei (New Zealand).

Aboard the MRF Tyres Skoda Fabia S2000 the duo finished 5mins51.8 clear of teammate and defending rally winners Gaurav Gill (India) and Glenn Macneall (Australia).

New Zealand pairing Mike Young and Malcolm Read finished third – ejected from second overall in the final kilometres as Gill reeled in their time advantage. The difference was a paltry 1.9 seconds.

The International Rally of Whangarei started with 48 competitors. The journey covered 282.2km of fast flowing rural roads in the Northland and Whangarei regions, broken in to 16 timed tests.

Starting Friday night with a ceremonial welcome and two night-time Super Special Stage runs, Tidemand opened an early lead that grew as the weekend wore on. The Swede won all but one of the special stages.

SWEDEN FLAG ON NEW ZEALAND

“It is fantastic. Right from my co-driver, the car, the tyres have all done a fantastic job.

Everything has worked perfectly for us so am really happy with the result. It was important to get experience with these roads, their surface and pace notes – so the result makes for a perfect weekend,” said Tidemand just prior to the ceremonial finish.

Block - Gelsomino (Ford Fiesta)

Campbell - Fabbro (Mitsubishi Lancer)

Plagued with early handling problems, Gill returned to his winning form in the weekend’s final three tests – setting fastest time across the Springfield road stage. It wasn’t all disappointment for Young. His first time campaigning an all-wheel-drive car (Cusco Subaru) the 22-year-old was steadfast at finishing. That he posted competitive times was reward for his efforts. “My heart is still beating,” said Young.

“We are really happy with third, especially after having a small moment in the final stage that could have cost us the whole rally. To only have a difference of 1.9 seconds (between second and third) is pretty good when you compare the cars; we’re pretty happy.”

Fourth, after earlier tussles with Young was Indonesia’s Subhan

Aksa and Nicola Arena (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X). In fifth place: New Caledonia’s Jean-Louis Leyraud and Scott Beckwith – in a third Skoda Fabia S2000 specification car. “My goal at this rally was to learn the car, to get the car back and finish the event. It is an exciting car to drive and am very happy with our weekend. Now I can focus on New Caledonia,” commented Leyraud. Japanese pairing Mitsuhiro Aoki and Fumika Aoki (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) finished sixth while Rina Ito and Paul Santo (Mazda Demio) rejoined to complete the final day.

While the weekend’s weather was largely temperate, the greatest constant was change – from bright sun to bouts of heavy rain. Assisting in keeping

2015 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship calendar Round 1:

17 - 19 April New Zealand

(Counts toward: APRC, Pacific Cup, Junior Cup)

Round 2:

15 - 17 May New Caledonia (Counts toward: APRC, Pacific Cup)

Round 3:

19 - 21 June Australia

(Counts toward: APRC, Pacific Cup, Junior Cup)

Round 4:

14 - 16 August Malaysia

(Counts toward: APRC, Asia Cup, Junior Cup)

Round 5:

18 - 20 September Japan

(Counts toward: APRC, Asia Cup, Junior Cup)

Round 6:

30 Oct - 01 November China (Counts toward: APRC, Asia Cup)

Round 7:

11 - 13 December India

(Counts toward: Asia Cup)

Gaurav Gill - MacNeal(Skoda Fabia)

Hawkeswood - Cress (Mazda 2)

SWEDEN FLAG ON NEW ZEALAND

Kelsey - Peden (Kelsey MC2)

Tidemand - Axelsson (Skoda Fabia)

the road conditions stable it added great variety to what each driver experienced – especially those further down the field.

American social media sensation Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino (Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V.) thrilled his five million Facebook followers by topping the national field of competitors that ran directly behind the internationals.

While not eligible for points in the New Zealand series his consistent pace put him well ahead of competitors he previously lined up against: “Today’s roads were really incredible, the last stage in particular is exactly why I came here. I have really enjoyed myself, I had some really good battles and am stoked to come back with the win. I came here in 2007 to get better and knew the roads and drivers were quite good. I have come a long way (since then) and I was able to use my knowledge this weekend to drive much much better.”

Early leader in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) is Ben Hunt (Auckland), followed by Matt Summerfield (Rangiora) and Phil Campbell (Tauranga) in third.

Close to securing a podium result evaporated on the penultimate

stage for Mt Maunganui’s David Holder and Rob Scott when their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo left the road. Mechanical failures halted the progress of Dave Strong, Clint Cunningham, Brian Stokes and Kingsley Jones. Casualties yesterday; Emma Gilmour (Suzuki Swift Maxi) and Andrew Hawkeswood (Mazda 2) both completed the day to salvage some points from the weekend. A suspension failure in the purpose-built car of Alex Kelsey side-lined his superb performance for a second day running. Of the 31 cars that left sunny Whangarei 21 got to cross the finishers ramp. The second round of the APRC, it covers 245km of the mid-Pacific island location from 15 to 17 May.

Hunt - Rawston (Subaru Impreza WRX)

Final Results 1. Pontus Tidemand/Emil Axelsson Skoda Fabia S2000

2:55:29.4

2. Gaurav Gill/Glenn Macneall Skoda Fabia S2000

+5:51.8

3. Michael Young/Malcolm Read Subaru Impreza WRX STi (N4)

+5:53.8

4. Subhan Aksa/Nicola Arena Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X (ASN)

+9:14.2

Inkster - Winn (Mitsubishi Lancer)

5. Jean-Louis Leyraud/Scott Beckwith Skoda Fabia S2000 +15:43.5 6. Mitsuhiro Aoki/Fumika Aoki Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X (N4)

+42:48.4

RGM

THE THIRD ST RALLY

Subaru Rally Team USAÂ driver David Higgins fought to his seventh consecutive victory of the Oregon Trail Rally behind the wheel of his 2015 Subaru WRX STI rally car. Higgins with co-driver Craig Drew have won the first three rounds of the 2015 championship

TRAIGHT WIN

THE THIRD STRAIGHT WIN

The Oregon Trail Rally is the most diverse in the Rally America Championship with a varying mix of road types that include both high-speed flowing and tight and technical roads. The team’s 2015 Subaru WRX STI met the challenge perfectly as Higgins won all but two of the event’s eighteen stages. “This rally has such a mix of road types, so if you have a car that works well at this rally then you know you have a car that can do well at all the other events,” explained Higgins. “It gives us really good confidence heading into the next round, the Olympus Rally, and the whole season ahead.”

Higgins and Drew led from the start of the rally, winning all four stages at the spectator friendly stages held at the Portland International Raceway. But an intermittent technical issue coupled with new rules designed to limit performance factored into the duo losing some time on

Saturday, but never relinquishing the lead. On the event’s final day Higgins pulled away from the field on the technical and tight stages and cruised to a nearly three-minute victory.

“The key for me is you’ve got to learn to drive around problems,” Higgins said. “Winning rallies and winning championships are all about making the best out of the bad situations, keeping your head down, concentrating, and enjoying it, because that’s the main thing: if you can drive through it all with a smile on your face it makes it a whole lot easier.”

“This is a challenging rally with diverse conditions, and our competition continues to increase their pace,” stated Rob Weir, Subaru Motorsports Marketing Manager. “We’re proud of the team’s result this weekend and thank the organizers for putting on a spectacular event.”

Subaru Rally Team USA will stay on the west coast after Oregon and prep for the Olympus Rally, May 16-17 based in and around Shelton, Washington. The Olympus Rally, a former round of the World Rally Championship in the 1980’s, is back on the Rally America National Championship calendar after a two year break.

THE THIRD STRAIGHT WIN

RGM

RACE CLASSIC

50 years since the Singh brothers’ fantastic Volvo victory in the Safari Rally

THE HUMAN TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM It is 50 years since Joginder Singh and his brother Jaswant crossed the finish line of the Safari Rally in first place in their Volvo PV 544. The white Volvo´s victory in the world´s toughest rally became news all over the world

The human traction control system

Volvo enjoyed worldwide success on numerous occasions in the motorsport arena in the early 1960s. Its participation in events and some victories too generated excellent publicity

for Volvo, particularly in the US market. The hunchback Volvo PV544 earned a reputation for being rugged and sporty. By 1959, Volvo had set up its own competition department and, in 1960, Gunnar

Andersson won the 4620-kilometrelong endurance rally, the Gran Premio de Argentina, driving a PV544 with a B16 engine. In 1961, Gunnar Andersson was appointed Volvo’s competition department manager, but he continued to compete in rallies. He signed up a number of talented drivers, including CarlMagnus Skogh, Tom Trana and Ewy Rosqvist.  Volvo invested heavily in the 1964 Safari Rally. Its competition department sent four,

white Volvo PV544s down to Kenya which was the starting point of the rally. The Safari cars were powered by a tuned-up B18 engine with 130 hp, reinforced front suspension with Bilstein twintube shock absorbers and front disc brakes, two fuel tanks and protective panels underneath the engine, gear box and fuel tanks. A strike led to a serious delay in the delivery of the cars and the team made it to the start of the rally at the eleventh hour without having had

The human traction control system

any time to practise. The Safari Rally is known as the toughest rally in the world and this year the conditions were harsher than ever. Of the 94 cars that set off, only 21 made it over the finish line. Carl-Magnus Skogh was the only Volvo driver to complete the five-day rally, but did not reach the finish within the time limit. This meant he was given no place in the standings.

Tom Trana´s car was left in Kenya with the importer Amazon Motors. Joginder Singh, the seasoned driver from Kenya who had competed several times in the Safari Rally, became interested in Volvo. He borrowed a PV544 from Amazon Motors in 1964 to take part in smaller rallies in Africa. Using his knowledge of engineering, Singh modified and improved the PV after each rally to make it even more suitable for the African conditions.

Five months before the thirteenth Safari Rally in April 1965, Joginder Singh entered into a hire purchase agreement with Amazon Motors to buy the PV544 that Tom Trana had driven the previous year. The crashed car that had already completed two seasons was repaired and then

carefully tested by Joginder and his co-driver brother Jaswant.

Although the Singh brothers had enjoyed success in the Safari Rally on previous occasions when driving other makes of car, no one thought the Sikh brothers in their turbans had much of a chance this time. It had been a flop for Volvo the year before and there was stiff competition from several major car stables.

Joginder and Jaswant drew number one for the starting position. In the past, this had been considered an unlucky number in the Safari Rally. It was, without a doubt, a lucky number this year, however. The first stage of the rally was dry and, as the leading car, Singh had good visibility with no one churning up the dust in front of him. The second stage was wet and muddy and the roads quickly became slippery and rutted.

But the Volvo was still in the lead and the brothers had a special technique for getting out of the mud. There were two handles fitted to the rear of the car. As Joginder sat at the steering wheel endeavouring to get the narrow rear tyres to grip, Jaswant would stand on the

rear bumper rocking the car to put more pressure on the drive wheels. It was a human traction control system!

The crowd went wild when the Singh brothers crossed the finish line in Nairobi on the fifth day of the Safari Rally. They also won by the largest margin ever in the rally’s history. Second place was taken by Ian Jaffray who drove up to the finish line one hour and 40 minutes later.

Joginder has been popularly known as “The Flying Sikh” since then.

Amazon Motors annulled the hirepurchase contract after the race

and gave Joginder Singh the car.

The winning car, still belonging to the Singh family, has been restored and is on display today at the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Joginder Singh continued his rally career, driving various models of Volvo cars for several years. He won the Safari Rally two more times and also competed in the Swedish Rally, although not with the same success.

When interviewed, he always maintained that the Volvo PV was his favourite model. Joginder Singh passed away in London in 2013 at the age of 81.

RGM

RACE CLASSIC

The 24th edition of the Tour Auto Optic 2ooo has been held from 20th to 25th April 2015.

Organized by Peter Auto, this annual event saw around 230 historic cars, whose the model participated in the Tour Auto from 1951 to 1973, to celebrate the oldest motor race in the world still in operation.

DOUCE FRANCE‌

Pictures courtesy of www.peterauto.peter.fr / Mathieu-Bonnevie / Julien Hergault / RenĂŠ Photo

DOUCE FRANCE...

Guillaume Lucot / Emmanuelle De Galembert (FRA/FRA) MG B

Jean-Marc Bussolini / Patricia Bussolini (FRA/FRA) Porsche 904 GTS

Marco Brustio / Umberto Brustio (ITA/ITA) Lancia Fulvia 1.3 HF

After the traditional rendezvous in the Grand Palais (where the cars have been on display to the enthusiastic gaze of the Parisians in this majestic glass and steel setting) they were protagonist on the roads of France to compete in four circuits and eight special stages on closed roads before finishing their journey in Biarritz.

The 233 drivers, who had left the Grand Palais in Paris five days earlier, will have unforgettable memories of this itinerary that took them through the stop-over towns of Vichy, Clermont-Ferrand, Toulouse and Pau before they arrived on the Basque coast. While some came away with victories, all the participants will remember the sense of shared excitement and the sights of marvellous landscapes.

Osar Brocades Zaalberg / Marianne Brocades Zaalberg (NLD/NDL) Ferrari 275 GTB

DOUCE FRANCE...

Philippe Domet / Brigitte Domet (FRA/FRA) Jaguar XK 120 Roadster

DOUCE FRANCE...

Adrien Cathiard / Christine Cathiard (FRA/FRA) Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS

Shaun Lynn / Kevin Kivlochan (GBR/GBR) Shelby Cobra 289

At the finish of this human and sportsmanlike adventure there was a winner, the crew JeanPierre Lajournade-Christophe Bouchet in their E-Type Jaguar.

They emerged victorious after a no-holds-barred battle with Ludovic Caron-Charles de Villaucourt in their AC Cobra who took the flag only 31 seconds behind after 1907 km.

In the regularity section victory went to the Alpine A110 1600S driven by Jean-Franรงois and Franรงois Nicoules in front of the sister car of Georges Henri Meylan-Julien Stervinou.

Once again the spirit of the Tour Auto Optic 2ooo attracted big crowds.

This was proved by the large number of spectators who flocked to the finish of the legs as well as the circuits of Magny-Cours, Charade, Albi and Pau-Arnos and the numerous special stages.

Jean Pierre Lajournade / Christophe Bouchet (FRA/FRA) Jaguar Type E 3,8L

DOUCE FRANCE...

Jean-Franรงois PENILLARD / Mathieu VERLAINE (FRA/FRA) Porsche 356 Pre A

DOUCE FRANCE...

Martin Sabatie-Garat / Jean Victor Annicchiarico (FRA/FRA) Jaguar XK 120 O.T.S.

Ludovic Caron / Charles De Villaucourt (FRA/FRA) Shelby Cobra 289

DOUCE FRANCE...

Olivier Monot (FRA) BMW 3.0 CSL

GĂŠrard Salat / Yves Perrin (FRA/FRA) Renault R8 Gordin

Mr John Of B. / Sibel (FRA/FRA) Ligier JS 2 DFV

Jean Francois Nicoules / Franรงois Nicoules (FRA/FRA) Alpine Renault A110 1600 S

RGM

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PADDOCK MIX DAKAR 2016: a brand new journey

The organisers of the Dakar recently unveiled in Paris the outline of the route for the 2016 edition, the 8th that will take place in South America. Without Chile, which has been affected by tragic floods in the regions which usually welcome the rally, a brand new journey through the continent has been prepared for the competitors. From Lima in Peru to Rosario in Argentina via the high plains of Bolivia, the riders and drivers will experience a Dakar of contrasts.

A new diagonal line has been drawn over the map of the South American continent, with angles and detours that give the route for the Dakar 2016 a unique aspect. To get the measure of this trek from Peru through Bolivia to Argentina, traditional maps need to be put aside to integrate a

third dimension: the relief of the Andes Mountains that will punctuate the stages that the riders, drivers and crews will have to tackle next January.

Initially, a re-acquaintance with Peru will provide the experts in driving on sand with the opportunity to take advantage of their skills on the dunes. After having completed this long corridor of sand set between the ocean and the mountains, the Dakar will explore Bolivia, which will welcome the rally for the third time, in a completely new manner. Following the limited incursions in the previous two editions, the rally will cross the country and its high plains, with the discovery of Lake Titicaca on the menu. The change in setting will be accompanied by a gain in altitude that will test the competitors’ capacity to adapt physically and technically. Lastly, the extreme endurance phase will take place in Argentina, a faithful host to the Dakar since its arrival on the continent. The journey progressively southwards to Rosario will especially lead the rally through territories with varying characteristics: meeting the challenge will not only require robustness, but also concentration and wisdom.

PADDOCK MIX

Volkswagen Polo Cup Russia Arshansky wins season opener in Moscow The new Volkswagen Polo Cup season in Russia got under way with a race win for Yuriy Arshansky (RUS) in Moscow. Together with his co-driver Mikhail Soskin (RUS), the entrant in the Russian and Baltic Rally Championships won the event after eight special stages over a distance of 65.9 kilometres.

More than 15,000 fans made their way to

the Olympics grounds in Moscow where the rowing and cycling heats were held in the summer of 1980 in order to watch the traditional Rally Masters Show. And they were offered top-notch entertainment: Arshansky, who hails from St Petersburg, took his Polo in first place ahead of Andrey Vavilin (RUS) and Dmitry Sokolov (RUS).

SEAT Leon Eurocup 2015 Fran Rueda (Monlau Competición) and Mikel Azcona (PCR Sport) were the stars of the 2015 SEAT Leon Eurocup’s first round at Paul Ricard (april 25 and 26). Rueda was the winner of the event held on Sunday while on Saturday Azcona took victory in the first race of the weekend. Indeed, the young PCR Sport rookie from Navarra is the early leader of the general classification in the international series, followed by Rueda and Pol Rosell (Baporo Motorsport). Meanwhile, Amalia Vinyes, 11th in the race today and Lucile Cypriano, eighth yesterday, stepped onto the podium in the new category of the Ladies Trophy championship.

BRITCAR DUNLOP 24 H On April 25/25 a 24 Hours races returned on Silverstone after two years of absence.

Beechdean AMR Team (Aston Martin) took victory in the dramatic 2015 edition of the MSA Dunlop Britcar 24hr race.

The race (that also marked CEO Dr. Andy Palmer’s first competitive outing as an Aston Martin race driver) saw the team battle changeable conditions as wet weather played a key part in determining the team’s strategy throughout the late evening.

Dr. Andy Palmer added: “It was a fabulous weekend. My main aim was to understand how a race team works as it’s so intrinsic to our brand. It was of unbelievable proportions with every season imaginable. However, the main thing for me was that the team pulled together and really looked after each other throughout the race.”

PADDOCK MIX World Rally Championship ONE-TWO! Citroën Racing really does love Rally Argentina. The French team has now won ten of its last eleven appearances in Carlos Paz. This victory, built from the outset by Kris Meeke, has been the perfect way to launch the DS brand in South America. Having already set the joint fastest time in Wednesday’s shakedown, Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle only missed out on winning the first stage by 0.2 seconds. Having grabbed the lead after the treacherous SS2, the DS 3 WRC crew then controlled perfectly from the front on what is an incredibly difficult event.

Kris Meeke maintained his lead to the end to take his first ever win in the World Championship. In doing so, he claimed the first win by a British driver since Colin McRae prevailed at the 2002 Safari Rally. Kris becomes the 74th driver to win a World Championship race and the fourth most successful Briton, after the late Colin McRae (25 wins), Richard Burns (10) and Roger Clarke (1). Paul Nagle is only the second Irish co-driver to win a WRC round after Ronan McNamee in 1989. For Citroën Racing, this is their 94th WRC win and their 29th one-two finish.

Kris Meeke: “Everything was fine until we got the end of the last stage. Once we had crossed the line, I was overcome with emotions. It’ll take time for it to really sink in. I didn’t start the rally aiming to fight for the win. I just wanted to have an error-free rally. The seven-week break really helped me. From the shakedown onwards, I felt full of confidence. It was a really difficult race but the DS 3 WRC is a solid and reliable car. All the other guys had problems and we secured a one-two finish. Mads had a fantastic rally as well. I have to thank Yves Matton, who believed in me. He gave me a great opportunity and he has been supportive throughout. This is just the first step in me thanking him for that support. I hope there will be others. This one is for Colin McRae.”

FINAL RESULT 1. Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle (DS 3 WRC) 2. Mads Østberg / Jonas Andersson (DS 3 WRC) 3. Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 4. Martin Prokop / Jan Tomanek (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 5. Dani Sordo / Marc Marti (Hyundai i20 WRC) 6. Khalid Al Qassimi / Chris Patterson (DS 3 WRC) 7. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari / Marshall Clarke (Ford Fiesta RRC) 8. Diego Dominguez / Edgardo Galindo (Ford Fiesta R5) 9. Gustavo Saba / Diego Cagnotti (Skoda Fabia Super 2000) 10. Federico Villagra / Diego Curletto (Ford Fiesta) WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS DRIVERS 1. Sébastien Ogier 2. Mads Østberg 3. Andreas Mikkelsen 4. Elfyn Evans 5. Kris Meeke 6. Thierry Neuville 7. Dani Sordo 8. Martin Prokop 9. Jari-Matti Latvala 10. Ott Tanak MANUFACTURERS 1. Volkswagen Motorsport 2. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team 3. Hyundai Motorsport 4. M-Sport World Rally Team 5. Jipocar Czech National Team

3:41:44.9 +00:18.1 +03:27.4 +06:26.1 +10:46.7 +11:19.9 +16:02.6 +18:48.2 +21:20.6 +25:19.6

84 points 51 points 47 points 41 points 35 points 35 points 30 points 26 points 19 points 12 points 103 points 85 points 85 points 73 points 32 points

PADDOCK MIX An exciting Lamborghini Trofeo debut

The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Europe witnessed an undisputed protagonist in Monza at the season opener. Patrick Kujala set pole both position and seized Race One and Race Two. The Finn (Bonaldi Motorsport) won Race Two held on Sunday morning in Autodromo Nazionale of Monza.

With Kujala on the weekend’s podium were two debuting teams in the Series. It was second place for the Antonelli Motorsport duo made up of Daniel Zampieri (ITA) and Roman Mavlanov (RUS), and third step on the podium for the Vincenzo Sospiri Racing pair Kei Fran-

cesco Cozzolino and Shinya Sean Michimi.

The Italian-Japanese duo also took the PROAM Class win. There was a new podium appearance (second place) for the team Bonaldi pair made up by the former FIA GT1 Champion Matteo Bobbi and the Brit Jay Palmer, which stormed Race One. It was third place for Raffaele Giannoni (Automobile Tricolore).

The Georgian Shota Abkhazava took his first 2015 win in the AM Class for Artilne Team Georgia. He managed to stay six seconds behind the Race One winner Mark Ineichen (Konrad Motorsport). Veloso Motorsport seized third AM Class place with Eugenio and Sergio Montez.

Amongst the Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo entrants, Race Two went to the Imperiale Racing pair made up of the Swiss Davide Durante and the Venezuelan Juan Cayo Azcarate.

The next round of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Europe is in just over a month in Silverstone, GBR, on the weekend of 21-24 May.

Faggioli dominated the first event The Col Saint Pierre Hill Climb was the first round of the FIA European Championship but also the second round of the French Championship. It assembled a full field of participants and the competitors had the pleasure of racing in bright sunshine. The conditions were ideal, and the Italian Simone Faggioli (Norma M20FC Evo Zytek) did not pass up the opportunity to immediately inflict a serious blow to his adversaries’ morale. In his first climb of the race he not only beat his closest rival by more than three and a half seconds but also set a new absolute record for the course, improving on the one he himself had set twelve months ago by nearly a second!

On the second climb, but without beating his own record again, he was still the fastest and thus secured a first victory in 2015, the classification of the events counting towards the European Championship being drawn up by combining the best two performances of each of the drivers (unlike the rule in the French Championship, where only each driver’s best time is taken into account to establish the classification).

While the runners-up in the race were the Frenchmen Nicolas Schatz, Sébastien Petit and Cyrille Frantz, each of them driving a Norma M20FC with a BMW engine which is ineligible for the European Championship because of a cylinder capacity exceeding 3 litres, the driver who was classified second in the specific European classification was Luxembourg’s David Hauser (Wolf GB08F1) whose time, compared with Faggioli’s at the end of the two climbs, was 17 seconds slower. The European podium was completed by the Czech Otakar Kramsky (Reynard K15 Zytek). Without any real opposition within the E2-SH Group for “Silhouette” cars, Dan Michl (Lotus Evora V8) focused on trying to beat the best GT cars, which he only just managed to do against four-time French Champion Nicolas Werver (Porsche 997 Cup S). The gaps between the best Group A and Group N drivers were always very small, with the advantage finally going, at less than one second, to the Czech Jaromir Maly over Austria’s Christian Schweiger in Group A, and at one second and seven hundredths to Macedonia’s Igor Stefanovski over the Croatian Tomislav Muhvic in Group N.

PADDOCK MIX

VISO WINTS THE SST RACE IN LONG BEACH E.J. Viso of Caracas, Venezuela won the third annual Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks Presented by Traxxas race at the Long Beach Grand Prix Sunday by an impressive distance over Traxxas driver Sheldon Creed of Alpine, Calif. Viso’s 5.2-second winning margin was uncharacteristically large for an SST race, and was due to the tremendous battle taking place behind him between Creed, Arizona’s Gavin Harlien, California’s Robby Gordon and Arizona’s Scotty Steele.

Harlien, who battled with Viso for much of the event, controlled the majority of the race with aggressive braking around the 1.968-mile 11turn street circuit, giving the veteran road racer Viso all he could handle throughout the event.

Coming through the 180-degree turn 11 just before the white flag and final lap started, Harlien and Creed touched in the middle of the slow right hander which caused Harlien to spin and give up the third spot to Gordon.

The first Renault Sport R.S. 01s have arrived

Creed displayed his normal spectacular style by flying higher and farther than any other competitor in the field over the four man-made ramps located throughout the circuit. Several times he launched off of the two front-stretch ramps nearly landing on Harlien in front of him. With a full inversion of the starting lineup from qualifying, the fastest qualifier in each race starts at the rear of the field. Creed has been the fastest qualifier at SST’s first three events of 2015 which also included the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, Australia and the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.

LIVE/Think Loud Entertainment driver Scotty Steele was fourth, Traxxas driver Keegan Kincaid finished fifth, Harlien was sixth, off-road veteran but newcomer to SST Dale Dondel was seventh in the Roberts Racing SST and Charles Dorrance of Austin, Texas in the Three Bears Racing SST was eighth. The Stadium Super Trucks will take several weeks off before returning to the Belle Isle Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix in late May.

Less than 18 months after its birth and eight months since its official presentation at the Moscow International Auto Show, the Renault Sport Trophy has already begun for the teams. The first Renault Sport R.S. 01s were delivered some weeks ago to the teams before they put in a shakedown run at the Circuito Riccardo Paletti (Varano de Melegari, Italy) just six weeks before the first race in Spa Francorchamps (May 30 – 31).

Among the teams present, we find Equipe Verschuur, Oregon Team, R-ACE GP, Monlau Competicion, V8 Racing and Zele Racing. Some well-known faces of the World Series by Renault were behind the wheel, like former Formula Renault 2.0 competitors Andrea Pizzitola (R-ACE GP), Dario Capitanio (Oregon Team), Richard Gonda (R-ACE GP) and Steijn Schothorst (Equipe Verschuur). Ex- Eurocup Mégane Trophy and Eurocup Clio drivers Max Braams (V8 Racing) and Niccoló Nalio (Oregon Team) also took part in the shakedown.

PADDOCK MIX First victory for the new Audi R8 LMS

Christopher Mies and Nico Müller triumphed on April 25 in the second VLN race ahead of their team mates Pierre Kaffer and Laurens Vanthoor and, in doing so, took a clear victory for the Audi R8 LMS in only its third race – and this on the world’s toughest race track, the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

In the changeable weather conditions, endurance racing specialist Christopher Mies and Audi DTM driver Nico Müller initially took the

lead after ten race laps. The lead exchanged hands several times as they staged a thrilling battle with the best Mercedes-Benz. From lap 18 onwards, the German-Swiss duo gradually increased its lead before finally crossing the finish line after four hours with a 1m 27s advantage over Laurens Vanthoor and Pierre Kaffer. It was the first victory on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife for the Audi Sport Team WRT from Belgium.

Kristoffersson on the World RX lead Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson won the Bompiso Rallycross of Portugal, round one of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, after a dominant display in his Volkswagen Team Sweden Polo RX Supercar. Reigning World RX Champion Petter Solberg clinched the runner-up spot and Timmy Hansen finished third for Team Peugeot-Hansen. Kristoffersson – an accomplished racing driver having won the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC) and Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia – lined up on the front row along Solberg for today’s six-car final. Joining Solberg, Kristoffersson and Hansen on the grid was Andreas Bakkerud (Ford Olsbergs MSE), Davy Jeanney (Team Peugeot-Hansen) and PG Andersson (Marklund Motorsport). Kristoffersson was quickest off the line and was awarded with the first Monster Energy Super Charge Award of the year.

“I am so, so happy,” beamed Kristoffersson, “I nearly stalled the engine on the start line and the whole circuit was unbelievably slippery but I drove a clean race. I couldn’t see out of the side windows so it was more about survival than actual racing. I want to say a big, big thank you to Volkswagen Sweden and to my

entire team who have done a fantastic job over the past few months. They have worked very hard to build this car which has been working well all weekend. It’s the best possible start to the season.”

Martin Anayi, World RX Managing Director for IMG, commented: “We’ve witnessed some sensational driving in Portugal this weekend and the performance displayed by our younger drivers in such tricky driving conditions is particularly impressive. Kristoffersson joins us as a permanent World Championship driver for the first time this year and the fact that he can win on his debut with Volkswagen Team Sweden is testament to the high standard of drivers that we have competing in World RX. It’s excellent to see three manufacturers – Volkswagen, Citroen and Peugeot – finish on the podium and the development on the cars over the winter hiatus has been very impressive. It’s always a pleasure coming to Montalegre – the Portuguese fans are extremely passionate and still flocked in their thousands despite the rain.

With four races in five weeks, the teams have got little restbite now as we head straight to Hockenheim for our first ever event alongside the highly-acclaimed DTM series.”

RGM

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Monza (Italy) Court Registration nr. 17/2012 of the November 2nd 2012

Chief Editor Vittorio Gargiulo Editorial coordinator Niccolò Gargiulo Graphic design Diego Galbiati

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