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TWO TOYOTA COROLLA AE86
2011 review of the year Nurburgring 24 GOODWOOD TRACKDAYS // SEAT
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just put the jigsaw together and John Marcar drives the rapid Seat Leon Cupra. We hopefully in a pretty and really want your feedback, legible fashion. do you like the magazine I need to kick off this format, or would you rather So, what have we got? introduction with a huge just read these articles on Well as you may have thank you to all the the website? spotted we drive the contributors who in their Toyota AE86 and discover own time wrote articles Anyway, enjoy the issue, driving at its most pure. and photographed cars and if you see any of the and events so that this issue could come together, Stephen Errity reports from contributors in the pub, the N24hrs (not this years!), buy them a pint. It’s now June and this Ralph Hosier talks about magazine should have gone out at Christmas and track days, Alex Grant Tim Hutton refreshes our memory on it’s all my fault. They are Editor the real stars of this issue, I what happened in 2011
Contents 08 AE86 18 A year in motoring 32 Trackdays 42 Not forgotten 48 Seat Leon Cupra R 58 Nurburgring 24hr 70 Mugen Civic 76 Goodwood 2011
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Editorial Editor: Tim Hutton tim@racingandwaiting.co.uk Advertising Email tim@racingandwaiting.co.uk Contributers Stephen Errity Writer Alex Grant Writer Peter Griffiths Writer Ralph Hosier Writer John Marcar Writer Aaron Weddell Writer Lauren Causer Photographer Stephen Hall Photographer Nick Williams Photographer
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All rights reserved. All due care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers, staff and contributors cannot be held responsible for any effects arising therefrom. Reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements but no responsibility can be taken for any resulting transactions. No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited materials.
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This summer the ‘86’ name will be hitting the showrooms once again. Tim Hutton takes a look at the original AE86 to see what all the fuss is about. Words Tim Hutton // Photos Nick Williams
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I like to think that my two older brothers know a thing about cars, after all it’s partly their fault that I share their desire to smell Castrol R, drive race tracks and watch motorsport.
status due to a number of reasons, firstly in 1987 a film called Plupsy was produced with a young Keiichi Tsuchiya driving and drifting an AE86 through the Japanese mountain roads. Keiichi known to many as the ‘Drift King’ and is among the founders of the sport of drifting we know today.
So imagine my surprise when I announced that I was getting a Toyota AE86 on test and neither of them knew what it was. In-fact only the drifters and friends Secondly an anime (later turned live-action movie my age got really excited, Initial-D) followed the and I mean really excited. antics of a young tofu delivery driver as he used, In recent years the AE86 with drifting aplomb, his has gained celebrity
father’s Toyota AE86 in the Kanto region mountains. But the main reason these cars have a cult status is because they are lightweight, naturally aspirated RWD cars with fantastic handling. If you need proof of that last statement then let me tell you that the AE86 took the BTCC title in 1986 and 1987 and it also had a long history in rallying notching up many results. So there you go, a car with some great heritage and a
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“I don’t even know if it had a stereo in the car, I sure as hell didn’t look for one”
cult following. You might think that with around 120bhp the 4-cylinder twin-cam won’t set your local roads on fire but, and this is a big but, the AE86 nudges the scales at just over 1000kg and as you no-doubt know- that’s not a great deal. With the new GT86 just around the corner a lot of petrolheads can’t quite
understand why it only has 200bhp. The lightweight, RWD, ‘sensible’ power ethos has been carried over from the AE86. Whilst modern cars are incredibly clever, safe and often very powerful yet there is rarely the opportunity to get real driving pleasure (in terms of exploring a car’s limits) on public roads. Cars like the Clio 200 and Mazda MX5 do deliver this but the
GT86 will hopefully take this to a new, more mature audience. So with this in mind and before I start ranting about modern cars too much lets take a drive in the AE86. Before I have even turned a key I am smiling. The AE86 is 26 years old and has one single key, smaller than modern keys and no buttons to control a whole
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car. If it steps out of line its simple to correct, you know exactly what the car is doing and the bark from the uprated exhaust and manifold make the whole experience that bit more visceral. You feel like you are driving quick, by todays standards you aren’t but it feels swift and most importantly it feels fun. This is what driving should be about to my mind. 400bhp 4WD cars for me personally don’t As you turn the key that hit the spot, this Toyota lovely little twin cam engine fires into life you are AE86 does because for transported away from day brief moments when to day life and into a world that traffic breaks and where it’s just you and the you find yourself on one of your favourite roads car, it’s a very involving you can hustle this car drive and concentration along imagining you are gets the best out of the host of other things on the car. Slide into the seat and you are well positioned, in-front is a steering wheel and just enough dials . To the left is a gear stick and handbrake, also well positioned. That is pretty much all i can tell you about the inside of the car, in-fact, i don’t even know if it had a stereo in the car, i sure as hell didn’t look for one.
Keiichi Tsuchiya on those mountain roads. If the GT86 has the same qualities that the AE86 has in a modern package with a car designed so that you put your own stamp on the car in terms of after market additions then Toyota are onto a winner. I have been lucky enough the passenger in a GT86 and it felt good, I couldn’t divulge much more than that at this stage, but I know I want to get my hands on one. Given my indifference to most new metal it’s a bold statement to say that it’s the first new car I could see myself buying, ever.
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With all-time high fuel prices, natural disasters and iconic names facing financial problems, 2011 has been a rollercoaster year for the motor industry. Alex Grant looks back through the biggest motoring stories of the last 12 months.
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January It was a gloomy start to the year as Euro5 emissions regulations came into force, leaving petrolheads mourning the departure of the Honda Civic Type R, Mazda RX-8, Alfa Brera V6 and Ford Focus ST from European showrooms after they failed to meet the new requirements.
And cars weren’t the only thing facing the axe. Declining sales spelt the end for modified car magazine Max Power once the UK’s biggest selling motoring title at almost 250,000 sales per month. After 17 years, its last ever issue went on sale in January.
FEBRUARY After years of hype, McLaren started production of the MP412C at its Technology Centre in Woking. The 592bhp, 205mph supercar and technical marvel was the first new model to be designed and
manufactured in-house since the 1992 F1. Also reaching 205mph in February was four times world rally champion Juha Kankunnen, setting a 205.48mph world ice speed record in a Bentley Continental GT.
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MARCH Japan suffered the biggest natural disaster in its history on the 11th March as a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and accompanying tsunami struck off the country’s north east coast. The quake not only claimed millions of lives, but also crippled the domestic car industry as factories and race tracks were damaged. Months
forward and the after-effects are still being felt as the country recovers. Though tame by comparison, UK fuel prices tipped over £6 per gallon for the first time and 65 year old manufacturer Bristol Cars ceased production as the administrators were called in. Sports cars also made headlines as Tesla sued Top
Gear over the programme’s allegations of poor range for its electric two-seater. There were positives, though. Mazda unveiled its 275bhp British-built MX-5 GT racer and Audi defied rising fuel prices by beating Bentley’s ice speed record after only three weeks, topping out at 206.06mph in an RS6.
APRIL w A month of notable ne K metal as MG began U production of the 6 in lBirmingham, its first al new car in 16 years. s Porsche got enthusiast talking with the 493bhp GT3 RS 4.0, a final e moment of glory for th 997 series, and Audi delivered the first UK hp examples of the 335b RS3.
The future of Saab looked less rosy. Under new ownership since its al separation from Gener Motors in 2010, it was es facing financial difficulti that left it unable to pay invoices and halted time production for the first as to on the 5th of April. It w t be the start of a turbulen summer.
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MAY
Order books opened for the limited edition BMW 1 Series M Coupe, with the 335bhp twin-turbocharged compact getting near universal praise as it evoked the spirit of the iconic E30 M3 and 2002 Turbo. For more modest budgets, Vauxhall announced a de-restricted version of the Insignia VXR, upping its top speed to a staggering 170mph. Meanwhile, Future Publishing took a punt on new motoring trends and launched iCar magazine, showcasing the industry’s most advanced and most economical vehicles.
JUNE Summer rolled in with a month of high-speed feats, as the Mégane RenaultSport 265 Trophy shaved nine seconds off the Mégane R26.R’s Nürburgring lap time to become the fastest front
wheel drive car around the German circuit. Also setting records was Subaru’s Impreza WRX STI, averaging 113mph on the 37.8mph Isle of Man TT course with Mark Higgins behind the wheel.
UK cinema-goers got to celebrate high speed as Senna debuted on the big screen, and Audi stole the show at Austria’s Wörthersee Tour with its barking mad 496bhp A1 Clubsport Quattro.
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JULY Jaguar celebrated 50 years since its iconic E-Type went on sale in the UK with an extravagant and sun-soaked display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. And, at the other end of the performance scale, Renault quietly remembered a half century of the best-selling single
model French car ever, the well-loved 4. July also marked the introduction of BMW’s high-tech “i” sub-brand, and the 300th and last ever Bugatti Veyron Coupe rolled out of a showroom with a lucky, but unnamed, European customer.
AUGUST Skoda’s vRS performance models were a gamechanger for the Czech manufacturer back in 2001. Determined not to let the ten year anniversary slip by unnoticed it shipped an Octavia vRS, modified by UK tuner Revo, to the
Bonneville Salt Flat in Utah and smashed the 216mph production car land speed record with a 227.08mph run. British technology was also making headlines as the Liverpool-built Range Rover Evoque, one of the
year’s most anticipated launches, opened for ordering. But it was a less fortunate month for the Bluebird Electric team, as their first land speed record run at Pendine Sands in South Wales ended with the car being damaged.
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SEPTEMBER The prestigious Frankfurt Motor Show drew most of the headlines in September, as Porsche revealed the third all-new 911 in the model’s 48 year lifespan, Land Rover divided opinions with two next-generation Defender concepts and Jaguar whetted the appetite of the motoring press with its near production-ready CX-16
hybrid sports car. Unfortunately the show was also notable for the absence of Saab, which had filed for bankruptcy protection only days beforehand while waiting for a Chinese buyout to go through and been forced to pull out of the show. Fellow Swedish manufacturer Volvo stepped in at the last minute
to fill the space where Saab’s stand would have been. In the UK, the Infiniti M35h became the fastest accelerating full hybrid, covering the Santa Pod Raceway quarter mile in 13.9031 seconds, and the government controversially started debating raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph.
OCTOBER As the motorsport season drew to a close, Sebastian Vettel secured Red Bull Racing its second consecutive Formula 1 manufacturer’s title at the Malaysian Grand Prix. But the season ended with tragedy as Italian MotoGP racer Marco Simoncelli was killed on the same circuit and British driver Dan Wheldon died shortly after sustaining injuries at an IndyCar race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. British motorists remembered 25 years of gridlock on the M25, Redline magazine became the second modified car title to fold due to declining sales and the Smart ForTwo diesel set a new record at the MPG Marathon, returning 99.24mpg. As the month drew to a close, the Chinese Saab buyout completed just in time to throw the manufacturer a lifeline.
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NOVEMBER It’s looking promising for 2012, as Vauxhall released pictures of the 277bhp Astra VXR, and Nissan announced more power and improved handling for the peerless GT-R. And, after a year of teasing us with transparent models, Subaru finally showed its BR-Z coupe at the LA Auto Show. Not all of November’s most talked about
newcomers are bound for production, however. Nissan revealed the Juke-R, powered by a 485bhp GT-R engine and cramming most of the supercar’s chassis components under its tiny shell. Only two will ever be made. And there was more bad news for motorists as Chancellor George Osbourne announces plans
DECEMBER The motoring year ended with the Tokyo Motor Show, and 2011’s eco-focus was evident across the board with almost every manufacturer bringing its vision of electric mobility to the event. Stars of the show included, at long last, two of next year’s most anticipated sports cars - productionready versions of the Toyota GT 86 boxerengined rear wheel drive coupe and the Subaru BR-Z it was developed alongside.
for a 3p per litre hike in fuel prices for the New Year. Faced with prices close to the record levels reached in May, over 100,000 members of the public made their feelings known in an e-petition, while parliament voted unanimously against the rise. As the month ended, Saab GB announced it was going into administration.
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trackday driving tips Ralph Hosier offers up some tried and tested advice for all you budding trackday goers.
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prepare a car for regular track use you might strip out the interior to save weight, fit lowered and stiffened suspension, a sports or race seat, maybe a spoiler and splitter etc. So you might as well pick a base spec car with a big engine rather than spend extra on a high spec car with parts that will be removed. This becomes The choice of champions important if you are on a So what makes a good tight budget, buying a top track day car? Well the simple answer is something condition cheaper model will make a much more reliable reliable, its amazing how car than buying a rot box many cars don’t make example of a top spec car. it past lunch time on a And of course if your car full day event. Its usually is a standard model parts heat that causes most will be cheaper and you will problems, in the cooling have a lot less investment systems, transmission tied up in it, so you will be and the brakes. The next a lot less worried about issue is mechanical failure pushing it to the limits, and electrical gremlins. which means more fun So some of the key items factor. to consider are ease of Success comes from servicing and availability simplicity. of spare parts, and this is where the high performance The art of preparation versions of many cars can The first piece of be unwise buys. preparation work is a If you are going to Driving at full chat round one of our many splendid race circuits is probably quite high up on your list of things to do. Track day veterans will tell you there are a few secrets to success, some of which might sound surprising if you are new the scene.
good thorough servicing, it always amazes me how many cars at track days have expensive intake kits but old engine oil. It makes sense use fluids more tuned to harsh use such as Castrol Edge engine oil and crucially racing brake fluid. Every part should be inspected and fluids replaced, including the gearbox, differential, brakes and cooling system. Admit it, how many of you have never even considered the oil in the diff? That oil is the only thing stopping the diff seizing or breaking up, and a broken diff is game over. Whilst going round the car servicing it check every bush, joint, nut, bolt and hose in the mechanical parts that you can see, you’re looking for wear and signs of decay as well as signs of previous repairs which might have been ok for a MOT but inadequate for track use. Take nothing for granted, and it really
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doesn’t take that long to just heave a spanner on these few critical bolts to make sure it will all hold together. There is one bit of tuning that is worth while; the most effective way of improving performance is to fit new track biased tyres, then take the car out on track ‘as is’ to see what you feel you would like to change. Unlike race cars where every small improvement can make the difference between winning or loosing, track days are simply about fun, there is no one to race against.
There is no point changing things that have no effect on you driving pleasure, so see how it goes as standard first then you will end up with a list of things to change, tailoring it to your own needs rather than making a car that suits a random collection of forum ‘experts’ or a race series that you aren’t in. It may surprise you that there is absolutely no point tuning the engine. The unique selling point of a track day is that it is safe, relatively, for everyone to drive flat out all day long. This is achieved by
having very strict rules that prevent cars coming together and racing another car is completely forbidden. So getting more power out of the engine give you no advantage and only serves to reduce reliability, and cost money that would be better spent elsewhere. Most reasonably modern cars have a fair amount of weight that can be removed, this will give the brakes and suspension an easier time too. But don’t get too hung up on it, as a rough guide most people would not
A word of advice: Never put the hand brake on, on hot brakes, it warps the disc and can bond on quite resolutely. really notice the effect of removing less than 10% of the cars original weight, so what’s the point? For instance most door cards weight two parts of naff all, but many folk remove them and then find they have no way of shutting the door. Removing mirrors will make no appreciable difference to performance but will make it more difficult to see cars coming up to overtake. So just remove things you really don’t need, like the back seat, air con, spare wheel, carpet and sound deadening material.
At this stage various things can be done to improve reliability. Engine driven fans can become unreliable at constant high engine speeds so are usually removed and a good quality electric fan used instead. This also helps when you come into the pits as all the heat that has soaked into the engine’s metal and exhaust requires extra cooling at low speed. The brakes take a hammering on the track and heat is their biggest enemy. The easiest modification is to fit
racing brake pads (such as EBC Red or Yellow) and just as importantly racing brake fluid (really helps prevent fade) such as Motul RBF600, but remember racing fluid has to be changed more often than ordinary road fluid, possibly twice a year. It is also common to remove any stone guards, which are actually heat shields to prevent melting the ABS sensors and brake hoses, so only do this if there is adequate extra air flow from additional ducting. Then you need a good seat and harnesses to hold you
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the confusion here is some more:
securely as you throw the car about the track, seats are a very personal thing because every ones body is different, its worth going to try a few seats out before buying. Similarly a smaller steering wheel can improve the feel of the car because a smaller movement of the arm is needed to make the same movement of the steering, again this is a personal choice. After that you could then start looking at lowering the car which will make a big difference to handling, but different suspension designs respond in different ways as the geometry changes. For instance semi-trailing arms such as on most BMWs increase wheel camber as they move up, at extreme travel this can reduce traction because the tyre is running on its edge all the time. Its worth trawling the forums and specialist web sites to get a feel for what is a good ride height.
without a helmet then a cage should be avoided, in a collision having hard steel bars next to your head can result in awful injuries. The cage must be considered one part of a system including the seat, harness, cage padding and helmet. With all the car’s new parts fitted, it’s time to check the wheel alignment. You need to know what your starting point is and make sure everything is pointing in the right direction. Most garages will do an alignment check using laser gauges for a small fee, which is well worth it, but you can also do it at home with a piece of string, just search on line for ‘setting up suspension with string’. Once it is set up as standard you can start changing things, for instance if you find the turn in is a bit slow and it understeers too much you might try increasing toe in a touch.
Caged Monsters Collisions are very rare on track days, so a roll cage is not usually needed. If the car is ever going to be used on the road and
The big day As the nerves build before your first track day you might find that you get bombarded with conflicting 5.Never put the hand brake advice, so just to add to on. On hot brakes it warps
1. Service car before hand, belts (including cam belt where fitted), oil, coolant, gearbox and diff oil As well as brake fluid should all be fresh and at the right level. 2. Depending on the car it may be best to run the oil level towards the low mark on the dip stick to prevent oil pull over, or towards the top end if the engine is prone to surge where the oil in the sump sloshes away from the pick up pipe. Again check for advice on your particular model. Either way check the oil level after each run, consumption will be higher than for normal road use, take spare oil. 3. Keep an eye on the temp gauge and if it starts creeping up then ease off and investigate the cause in the pits. 4. It is vital to do a cool down lap before coming in (High gear, low speed and don’t touch the brakes) to loose the stored heat in the engine, exhaust and brakes.
A word of advice Do your sums before arriving for a lap of the ‘Ring, it can be very expensive.
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the disc and can bond on quite resolutely. 6. After a run has been completed open the bonnet and let the heat out, all the metalwork will be hot and will soak into fuel lines and electrics whilst parked up. Whilst there check everything is still attached and not leaking.
be a bit bewildering, most people feel lost. This is normal and nothing to worry about. Just take it easy and build your speed gradually, you have all day and after lunch you will be much faster.
11. Chat with the other participants, find someone with a bit more experience and get them to sit in. But bear in mind that 7. As soon as you come in anyone who says they are carefully (because it might experienced is usually a be scalding hot) check the deluded, the best guides temperature of the tyre are the quiet ones who tread with a pyrometer, you don’t boast. are looking for differences 12. After lunch pick from the outer edge, someone who has a car middle and inner edge. If that should in theory be as the outer edge is much fast as yours, follow them hotter than the middle try and try to keep up, don’t upping the pressures in worry if you can’t. 3psi stages. 8. Don’t take loads of spare parts, what ever spares you take you wont need, what ever spares you need you wont have. Best not worry about it. But do take fluids. 9. Take drink, a hat and sun glasses, tracks are strangely drying places, keep hydrated otherwise your concentration will fade faster than your brakes. 10. The first few laps will
13. Keep a safe distance from other cars, particularly breaking for corners. Build a bit of space by hanging back on the straights so you can safely go flat out through the corners, where the fun is located. 14. When you spin off, stay calm. Stop for a few seconds and collect your thoughts. Follow the marshals directions, check all around for other traffic
and indicate when you re join the track. Your tyres will be full of mud so don’t go too fast and stay off the racing line until they clear, it will sound like a hail storm as the grit is thrown into your wheel arches but don’t let this concern you. 15. Take pictures. Lots of pictures. Take friends who are good with cameras. Video is even better but you must get permission from the circuit and also from the event organizers first. 16. Enjoy yourself. Don t push too hard, there will be other track days and the chances are on the first outing you will find niggling faults on the car anyway, preserve the car and yourself. After your first track day you will probably be hooked, ideas for improvement to both yourself and the car will start pouring in and you will find it impossible to talk about anything else. Remember motorsport is dangerous, and highly addictive. If you start down this route the chances are your life will never be the same again. Good luck.
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GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Peter Griffiths on the loss of two of motorsports greatest characters in 2011.
Try to make a list of what it takes to win just one race or event in any given motorsport. Long, isn’t it? Not only do you have to factor in material supplies and processes but you must also have a raft of intangible mental and philosophical abilities and priorities in place. Ultimately, the combination of bodily flesh and machine is the priority and that huge list that we just mentally went through is built around these two protagonists. The machines are built
to specifications within the relative constraints of the prevailing rules and regulations, defined by a budget. The team work together to whip it all up into what they believe to be most suited to the conditions of the competition. Do any of them think that they might be working on a sub-standard piece of equipment; or at least that it will not be quite as competitive as the rest of the field? Maybe they do. Do they put less effort in as a result? No. How
could they? They are (if in a relatively uncompetitive team) building a career and want to shine wherever they are working. The human body is not built to specifications, is unconstrained by rules and regulations or financial concerns, apart from the cost of time required for dietary and exercise regimes, and we come in all shapes and sizes. Factors such as gravity, diet, accidents, circumstances and our formative lives can impact on our physical and mental
development in terms of our fitness for function in any given arena. What is it that you enjoy doing? What do you feel you have a gift for? All of us can name what we enjoy doing, not all of us, but nearly all can name what we have a talent for, and far fewer can say that they are able to do what they are gifted at on a regular basis. For those who are fortunate enough to be able to pursue a career in, and make a successful life out of, what they are gifted in is great
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to see and we revel in it, partly, out of a sense of imagining being in that situation ourselves. We do not resent these people. We do wish that we could be in their position (and one place in front) but as we are not, all we can do is marvel at their performances. To be able to adapt a dedicated racing machine to our imperfect and awkward bodies, and then after that to be able to master the interaction between brain, flesh, mechanical parts, varying climatic conditions and track surfaces, takes incredible concentration, hard work, and yes, a special gift. The finishing touch, what separates
the best from the best, is the ability to focus the mind and body on a goal without any external influences. You can have the gifts mentioned previously but without this extra facet the top level of any chosen discipline will always be out of reach. On 16th and 24th October the world of motorsport lost, first, Dan Wheldon and then Marco Simoncelli in the course of the worst kind of racing accident, at the pinnacle of two of the world’s greatest disciplines. The shock at the loss of these two men who could not have had more great words said about them, or indeed less bad words as they were equally brilliant people,
hit home hard. My initial reaction was to not watch the accidents, to read very few articles about it, to get the facts and to read the countless words of tribute. We will forever remember these two excellent humans. Having lost their lives within a week of each other, in truly tragic circumstances. The died chasing their personal dreams and ambitions, combining their life passion, their extraordinary gifts, and making them a reality. Their pursuit of greatness on four and two wheels was a personal journey in which the risk of death loomed large each and every time. They used this motivation to fuel their performances in honour of
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themselves, their families, and every other racer who has gone before, alive and dead. Death is a profoundly personal thing and it holds us in it’s grip every day. All we can do is put it out of our minds as far as possible or use it as a point of focus to remind ourselves of our mortality and inspire us to get the most out of life. I have heard it said that death is unacceptable in the world of sport. It’s not to say that it is acceptable elsewhere but it is to say that it should not happen given the astronomical finances available to prevent it. While we remember Dan, Marco, and all the ‘famous’ passings through
history it is also important to remember that there are so many others that die every year that do not make worldwide headlines. The fact that 7 people died during this year’s Isle of Man TT is shocking It is worse that these are almost to be expected given the fearsome reputation of that particular race. Every racer knows the risks and deals with the fear in their own way in order that they can get on track, look to master the machine and better themselves, but they never believe it will happen to them. How could they? I do not care how “expected” a death in motorsport may be. Each
and every one of those who have died, had they been aware of what was going to happen, would rather have gone home and sat around a table with their family and friends eating, drinking, and loving. This Christmas, the time of family and friends, let us each take a moment to remember those who would but cannot join us for whatever reason. Let us also be thankful for those that can, and do achieve their dreams, as it certainly brings a smile to my face watching them do it and it helps me to appreciate the spectacle so much more. They may be gone but they will never be forgotten.
www.bullrun.com
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Think back to when you were young, very young. The sort of age when you judged cars solely by their looks and colours. Lamborghinis and Ferraris were cool as a default, mainly because you couldn’t spell their names when writing about them in your school books but also because they looked so radically different to all the other cars on the road. Now feel free to call me strange but ever since I
was very young I’ve always liked SEAT’s! in fact, I can even remember the first time I saw one and thought... “that’s cool!” I remember being about 7-8 years old, peering through the window of a local SEAT dealer at a brand new shiny bright blue hot hatchback with big wheels, exciting coloured seats and interesting looking people in SEAT t-shirts admiring it. I remember thinking this was an exciting car, not
at all like the hatch backs my family drive around in, it was different, new and therefore I liked it. Fast forward 16 years or so there I was being handed a key to a tasty looking bright yellow hot hatch with big wheels, exciting looking seats and cool looking people in seat t-shirts admiring it – As far as I was concerned it was only going to go well. The Cupra R has a genuine sporty look and
feel to it. It seems to be getting too easy for motor companies to take a standard base model car, add some stickers and bigger wheels to make it automatically qualify for a “R” or “Sport” badge. Not SEAT, oh no. This little Leon has come a long way to become a Cupra R and the changes are purposeful and fantastic. The twin centre pipe exhaust is a perfect example, SEAT could have easily thrown
on a enormous big bore monster pair of exit pipes with a fabricated sound but no change to performance but they didn’t, they kept it purposeful and smart. Inside the car is much the same and yet again a big leap from the standard model with leather bucket seats, a sporty steering wheel and garish clocks completed with the “R” logo enticing the needle up to the top speed. Before setting off I was trying my
best not to compare it to Golf GTI, but it was tricky. I was sitting in a 2.0l turbo charged hot hatch for a good price aimed at the young and trendies it had to be pretty similar surely. Well after just a few minutes driving the car it dawned on me that this was really nothing like the Golf GTI at all, dare I say it? It felt better - and I’ll tell you why in a bit. It’s not until you drive the Cupra R that you actually
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realise just how special the car is. What I initially loved about the R is that you can easily drive this car as a comfortable daily. I wouldn’t feel ashamed to drive my grandmother to the shops in it. You can plod around town at low revs without feeling like the car is unhappy or wanting to lurch from the shadows and throw you back in your seat with an unwelcome bucket of torque steer. It’s civil, quiet, refined and blends in nicely on the road making it ideal if you don’t want to be seen to be trying to impress the neighborhood and high street. When the time comes to impress your mates though, you can and the best thing about the Cupra R is it makes that job very easy. If you want to get a move on you can do so very quickly. Planting your foot opens the taps and you’re greeted with a welcome burst of torque followed by a daunting roar from the turbo. Before you know it you’re shooting up past 60, 70 and 80mph in seconds. The clutch and gear box are near perfect too, It’s a crisp and defined
transaction as you work up the gears allowing the turbo to roar throughout the rev range. Everything from the steering to the clutch has an assuring and quality feel to it, it all feels purposeful and tight just how you want it to. Stopping is equally impressive the positively huge disks really do the job, I’d even be so bold to say they’re probably more than what the car needs but that’s no bad thing. And then the handling, it’s equally fantastic - and I really mean that. It’s a “comfortably firm” ride on the road and holds nicely into the corners. It’s immediately obvious that this car wants to perform, it wants to be pushed into the corners and thrown into the chicanes the suspension is spot on and the chassis feels solid. Again, the car is fit for two purposes, when you want it to get lairy it does, when you want to keep a firm line in the corners you can and when you want to calm it all down for the drive home yet again you can. The R even delivers a very comfortable ride for a long journey and copes
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“When the time c your mates thoug the best thing abo makes that jo
comes to impress gh, you can and out the Cupra R is it ob very easy� www.racingandwaiting.co.uk 55
happily with the daily jaunts of city life. I’ve made up my mind that the Cupra R is an all round fantastic bit of kit. So why is it better than a Golf GTI? – Well to start with all in all they are quite similar cars, the Golf is near enough the same price and also packs a practically identical engine, but golf’s have a 35 year heritage behind them so surely it’s going to be a difficult one to beat. I’ve had an equal drive of
the Golf in comparison to the Cupra R and to be frank the Cupra R just blows it away. The Golf just feels way to sensible, refined and in a way, restricted. It feels like the power is there and the ability to have fun but yet something is holding it back. The Cupra on the other hand shouts “use me and abuse me!” there is nothing being held back here it’s pure bonkers and cry’s out to be pushed and driven hard. It’s raw, its
aggressive and it eggs you on to push harder. What I love most about this car that it’s different. When SEAT design a hot hatch they seem to break the mold, throw out the rule book and do it their own way each and every time, Something I first realised peering through the show room window as a kid. The Cupra R is no exception to this rule, it’s different alright… and then some!
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Deutsch Courage
Words: Stephen Errity Images: Ed Fahey
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I
t’s 1:34am in the Nürburgring pitlane. In front of me, the works BMW mechanics prepare to receive one of the two factory M3 GTRs entered in the race. Standing together in their crisp white overalls, bathed in the glow of the pit building lights, they form a human manifestation of that characteristic German efficiency. Suddenly, there’s a shout from the lollipop man. There’s a car approaching, but it’s not theirs. It’s the Opel Manta run by Kissling Motorsport, which just so happens to occupy the very next pit box to the factory BMW squad. The assembled mechanics rapidly break formation and the classic coupé dives into its alloted pit, crossing the space they had occupied only tenths of a second before. Almost as quickly as they had
scattered, the BMW men return to their disciplined formation, and this time, it is indeed their car that approaches and files in between them for fuel and tyres. No other scene could better sum up the atmosphere of the annual 24-hour race at Germany’s infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. Its schizophrenic character blends typical German commitment, application and organisation with an untamed, chaotic streak that makes this race genuinely deserving of that grossly overused adjective ‘unique’. There are 212 cars on the entry list. The torturous track, built in 1927 but including the modern Grand Prix loop for this race, is 16.1 miles long, and international FIA race series have long since stopped holding races there on safety grounds.
Each pit garage plays host to no less than seven cars and their attendant mechanics. 250,000 spectators, the vast majority of them German, arrive at the venue up to a week before the race to begin construction of what can only be described as an enormous shanty town of temporary and improvised structures to view the action from. If a car comes to grief on the track as a result of a crash or mechanical failure, the sprawling scale of the place means a safety car is rendered impractical. Recovery and medical vehicles proceed out onto the track, covered only by waved yellow flags, as the competitors continue on their way. Organised by ADAC, the German automobile club, the Nürburgring 24 Hours has not yet attained the thoroughly cosmopolitan,
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international flavour of its more celebrated French counterpart. It remains essentially a German national club racing event, and the majority of the entry list is made up of regular entrants in the VLN series – a calendar of shorter amateur races that take place on the Nordschleife during the rest of the year. But the sheer cachet of winning a race at this famously challenging track, so beloved of car
manufacturers as a true test of a vehicle’s prowess, has begun to attract the big guns. This year, factory or factory-supported teams from BMW, Porsche and Aston Martin would do battle for overall honours with professional privateer outfits running the latest GT machinery from Audi, Ferrari and Mercedes. But not all the highprofile entries have fallen from the cookie cutter. There’s Gazoo Racing, a team run by Japanese
GT driver Akira Iide and made up of Toyota roadcar factory staff engaging in some extra-curricular activity with a pair of close-to-road-legal Lexus LF-As. Then there’s Jim Glickenhaus’ svelte P4/5, which, unlike its muchcelebrated, Enzo-based road-car predecessor, did not have any official input from Maranello and therefore cannot wear the vaunted Prancing Horse. That doesn’t seem to make it any less special,
though – hardly surprising when they’ve rendered such an evocative shape in bare carbon and given it a Ferrari 430 GT2 soundtrack. The more productionbased ranks provide plenty of interest, too. There’s the Subaru WRX STI, a car much more commonly seen on the rally stages, but one which managed to finish a very strong 21st overall here, beaten only by GT machinery. Volkswagen’s assault
on its home event is multifaceted, comprising three examples of the striking Golf24 (which has been specially developed for this race), as well as a pair of CNG-fuelled Sciroccos, one of which is driven by the three most recent winners of the Dakar rally raid. Privately run BMW M3s abound, but the keen-eyed (and eared) can also pick out the whole gamut of the 3-Series range, from 318i and 325i petrols to 330d
and 335d diesels. 1-Series and Z4 racers complete the Munich contingent. The breadth and depth of the field is such that you’re still spotting ‘new’ cars from time to time, even with the race well underway. Where did that diesel Alfa Romeo 147 come from? And what about the Porsche Cayman, Honda S2000, Mercedes C230 or Ford Fiesta? Or the pair of Volvo C30s, prepared by local German outfit Heico
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f o t n u o n a m c a s o p N ion la e h t t r a t o f S Play are you urning p h e r c s p e h g c n a a m h o c t s n o i t a v e el
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Sportiv? And you can’t miss the aforementioned Opel Manta, which gets a hearty cheer from the fans at every corner, who seem to appreciate the underdog, against-theodds spirit of this entry. Despite the inevitable headaches that come with such a huge speed differential between the slowest and fastest entrants, the lure of the Nordschleife marathon is strong for drivers. Former Corvette factory pilot Johnny O’Connell has entered the race in a lowly Renault Clio Cup car with a trio of unknown Danes. Elsewhere, we find the legendary Hans-Joachim Stuck on the driver roster for the sole Lamborghini on the entry list. Now aged 60, he’s driving what he promises will be his last race before retirement,
sharing the car with sons Ferdinand and Johannes. And then there’s the team who’ve shipped over a fantastic-sounding, DonutKing-sponsored and very pink Holden Commodore from Australia; and Rowe Racing, who are determined to persevere with an outdated Chrysler Viper GT car. You simply can’t believe that such a diverse selection of cars could share the same starting grid until you see it with your own eyes. And the same goes for the track itself. No amount of PlayStation laps can prepare you for the stomach-churning elevation changes and the many-mile walks to access famous corners, not to mention the sheer size of the place. Possibly the most spectacular location
on the track, Flugplatz, is also one of the easier to access, but it takes a determined soul to reach the Karussel, where front splitters and undertrays receive a merciless beating as the cars negotiate this semi-circular, banked concrete bowl with a rythmic ‘crash-crashcrash-crash’ sound. It’s all very unlike anything you’ll find at a more modern, sanitised venue. But now, all this perfect madness could be under threat. It’s not hard to notice how the barelytamed wilderness and muddy access tracks of the Nordschleife contrast sharply with the gleaming glass-fronted palace found next to the Grand Prix loop. This behemoth is home to a cinema, a rollercoaster, a hotel and an indoor mall, and is
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an order of magnitude more impressive than the trackside buildings normally found at a European racetrack. But therein lies the problem. Significant sums of German public money were invested to build it, before the entire track and complex were leased out to private investors. Now, it seems, getting a return on the investment is proving to be an uphill battle. The murmurings of
discontent from those who believe the expensive distractions must be set aside are rising. A grassroots campaign to ‘Save The Ring’ has sprung up, and it scored a minor PR coup by managing to get a sizeable number of the cars entered in this year’s race to display its ‘STR’ logo. The race organiser, ADAC, is not happy either. After this year’s event, its chairman Peter Meyer
revealed that the race’s contract with the Ring’s owners expires after the 2012 running, and that the situation beyond that is unclear. His mention of nearby tracks like Zolder and Spa-Francorchamps as possible alternative venues suggests this may just be a negogiating tactic, but it’s still not pleasant to hear any suggestion of uncertainty over the future of this irreplaceable event.
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mugen typ Words: Ralph Hosier
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The Mugen Honda Civic Type R has a very long name, it also has a very big rear spoiler which is attached to a very small car. Small cars with powerful engines are a tried and tested recipe for fun, thrills and teenagers driving into lampposts outside McDonald’s, in short it’s a winning formula. So it seemed rude not to take up the offer of thrashing this idol of the Burberry clad yoof of the day. The location
for said thrashing was the fantastically twisting snake of a road that is Millbrook’s Alpine route, yes that’s the one where they filmed James Bond rolling an Aston but as I am not being chased by super-villains I feel confident that the car will remain shiny side up. And that is quite important as there are only 20 of these UK models, although as always with ‘limited editions’ if popular there will surely be further runs
of similar but not quite exactly the same models. Right, enough preamble, to the car: Snug is a good word, even the word ‘snug’ feels snug, as do the Mugen’s seats. The interior is a bit like a condensed version of that corner of Halfords where all the hoodies gawp at excessively loud stereos, as well as the usual dash with the now obligatory ‘Start’ button there is an extra set of largely
pointless gauges telling the driver things that most wont really understand in a sculpted pod. When I used to write for Max Power magazine I would see a lot of this sort of thing. But whilst it is very easy to mock, the remarkable thing is I rather like it, it appeals to the child within in much the same way that those enormous Lego Technic sets do, I feel that at my age I really shouldn’t be in here but actually I really
want to. As soon as the seat hugs me and I pull the red seatbelt down the whole car just screams to me ‘drive fast’, so not wishing to disappoint that’s what I proceed to do. The superb two litre VTEC engine is quite audible but still reasonably civilised, it pulls away without drama and can be driven normally, although I have no idea why you would want to because as soon as it comes on cam
at about 5500rpm there is a goodly surge of thrust and the engine starts screaming like an aged rock star on a come back tour; strong, purposeful, loud, tuneful with a rough edge, exciting even, but not necessarily something you would want to listen to at 6am on a damp Tuesday morning commute. In low gears the 8600rpm rev limit arrives rapidly and a certain joy is to be had swiftly charging
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through each of the close ratio gears, the selector is wonderfully accurate and fast (I believe the trendy term is ‘snickerty’ or something, but that sounds like a word made up by people who cant describe things properly). The exhaust noise is predominant but the intake makes a healthy roar too, when blasting through the gears the rasping and popping is terribly addictive urging me on to higher speeds just so I can change gear again. I actually found myself laughing out loud, it’s that good. Turning into fast corners in the standard Civic results in the now traditional dull under-steer and a vagueness to the steering, the Mugen is a world apart and very direct, a lot of the compliance has been taken out and the geometry altered to suit the sportier driver with remarkable results. The turn in is so positive that I feel I could just will the car to go round corners, it responds quickly to every input from me and almost
becomes an extension of my body. I say almost because it is not quite the same as a true race car, but there again this is a road car that can still accept a full load of shopping so it’s a good balance and it’s still hugely addictive. I soon find myself deliberately taking tighter lines round corners just to enjoy the joy ride. Each corner follows the same format; brake late enjoying the powerful and responsive brakes, block change a couple of gears enjoying the bark from the exhaust on overrun, throw an arm full of steering in and power out with the engine screaming round to the rev limiter, slicing through the roller coaster Millbrook track. Admit it, you want a go now don’t you! For the first few minuets this car brought me sheer joy, I was laughing out loud. But after a while an interesting transformation happened; the fact that I had to keep constantly changing gear became a tinsy bit tedious, and the fat tyres tram-lining on
the rougher bits of road surface required constant correction which started to become tiring. And that’s it in a nutshell; the Mugen is huge fun, briefly. Not an everyday car, unless you are extremely addicted to go-karts and are slightly hyper active, in which case constantly flailing your limbs about to get the best out of the car will second nature. Would I buy one? Probably not. But would I borrow a mates one? Oh yes, as long as I could get back from the race track before he finds out what I’d done with it! Weight 1247kg Performance 6.0sec 0-62mph, 150mph, 30mpg Length/width/height in mm 4280/1795/1440 Price £38599 Engine 1998cc 16v 4-cyl, 237bhp @ 8300rpm, 157lb ft @ 6250rpm Six-speed manual, frontwheel drive For more great words by Ralph Hosier check out his site: www.rhel.co.uk
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GOODWOOD 2011 marked the 18th Goodwood Festival of Speed, and once again three days simply wasn’t enough! Words: Tim Hutton Photos: Julia Hutton
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I’m very lucky in that I live 10 minutes down the road form Goodwood, over the years that has meant I have inhaled more than my fair share of Castrol R but also that I have never missed a single Festival of Speed. It’s easy for me though, jump in a car, take the back roads and drive straight into the car park. What never ceases to amaze me is the distances people and cars travel from around the world to be at this event. For some people it’s a chance, maybe the last, to see a chidhood hero or a car that they saw win the Targa Florio 50 years ago. For other perhaps its an opportunity to get the old gang together or see a driver and car reunited for the first time since they shared a race victory. Whatever the reason Goodwood FoS is a trully unique event that we should be proud to have in the UK, home of so much motorsports heritage.
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“Laying on the grass on a summers day whilst the sound and smell of a Ferrari V12 fill the air is absolute heaven” So, what do I like about it? Well, firstly there is the mix of cars, every era and facet of motor racing is covered. Secondly the glamour, putting on an event of this scale and it still managing to feel at times like an intimate event is hugely impressive. Yes, it does get busy, very busy, but there’s always somewhere to go sit and relax and just listen. That leads me onto my third reason, the noise. Laying on the grass on a summers day whilst the sound and smell of a Ferrari V12 fill the air is absolute
heaven. I do however have a couple of comments though. Perhaps the funfair playing its music is a little distasteful, and maybe it does get a little too busy at times in the most popular areas. Maybe the commercial side could just be reigned in a little, some of those structures are huge. But these are in reality minor points and if removign them was to have a detrimental effect on the event then ignore me. So, to my highlights for 2011, well the Group S Toyota MR2 is something I had never seen or heard
of, unsurprising really given that development was never finished due to the cancellation of the Formula. Powered by a 2.2-litre turbocharged engine that was transversely mounted. Sadly over the weekend the car was dogged by various issues but I hope that it makes an appearance in 2012. Another highlight was the original Spyker displayed in the Cartier ‘Style et luxe’ area, the shape and some of the design cues were obvious but it still shared very little in common with its road going younger brother.
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1996 Spyker Silvestris V8 This hand-made prototype was made between 1990 and 1996 by Maarten de Bruijn. Maarten later went on to launch the Dutch supercar company in 1999 with Victor Muller. The name Spyker actually dates back to 1903 when the coachbuilder and car maker produced a car with a straigh-six engine running four-wheel drive and four-wheel brakes, three automotive firsts.
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2011 Pagani Huayra Horacio Pagani was around to show off his striking looking Huayra hypercar, whilst not to everyones taste it was one of the first opportunities to see and hear this brand new car being driven on the limit.
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Fastest Time Dan Collins in the Lotus 88B ‘twin chassis’ F1 car narrowly took the fastest time in the top ten shoot out with a scorching time of 48.52s.
Thanks Once again a huge thanks to all the staff in the press office year on year these guys provide an exceptional service. www.racingandwaiting.co.uk 89
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