rally Archives | Page 2 of 4

WRC Jordan Rally delayed due to political unrest, stormy seas and engine trouble

Filed under: Motorsports, Middle East

Sebastien Loeb

Sebastien Loeb drives the 2010 Jordan Rally

Mounting a rally is never easy to begin with. Organizing one in the Middle East amidst the greatest popular upheaval in the region’s considerable history, however, is another matter entirely. We recently reported on the potential effects which demonstrations and revolutions across the region could have on motorsport competition, and now it’s all come home to roost.

Only two months after protests forced the cancelation of the Bahrain Grand Prix, a number of unpredictable factors have caused the delay – but not the cancellation – of the WRC rally in Jordan. Although the Hashemite Kingdom itself has remained relatively stable, getting the cars and equipment there this year proved a unique hassle. Teams were cautioned against trying to go through the Suez Canal due to the situation in Egypt, and with protests kicking into high gear in Syria, Plan B was out, too. Organizers ended up shipping by sea from Italy to Israel, only to be faced by further setbacks.

Stormy weather reportedly dictated it unsafe for the ship to dock in Haifa – Israel’s northern port on the Mediterranean – leaving it stranded one kilometer offshore. When the harbor finally gave the all-clear for the ship to dock, one of its engines wouldn’t start, forcing tug-boats to bring it in and shutting down all traffic in the port in the process. The shipment was then delayed in customs and took fourteen hours to finally reach the Jordanian coast of the Dead Sea where the garages are being set up.

The rally is now set to begin on Friday, two days behind schedule, but ready to go nonetheless. Meanwhile, the ship has since been impounded by the Israeli ministry of transportation until its engine can be repaired, forcing organizers to make alternative arrangements for getting their cars and gear back to Italy for the Sardinia rally on May 5.

[Source: Autosport | Image: McKlein/Citroën]

WRC Jordan Rally delayed due to political unrest, stormy seas and engine trouble originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “WRC Jordan Rally delayed due to political unrest, stormy seas and engine trouble”

Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More power, less pork… and not for production [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Videos, Chrysler, Dodge

Mopar Avenger Rally Car

Mopar Avenger Rally Car – Click above for high-res image gallery

When we think of rally cars, the Subaru Impreza and Ford Focus immediately come to mind. At no point does the Dodge Avenger enter our thoughts, but that didn’t stop Team Pentastar from building its own dirt-ready rally sedan.

Chrysler wanted to celebrate a new business partnership with Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli by building a collaborative vehicle that combines the talents of the Italian components maker and Chrysler’s iconic Mopar team. The result is an Avenger that can handle more than America’s urban jungle.

Magneti Marelli and Mopar spent a few weeks modifying a stock Avenger Heat with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 underhood. The Avenger chassis remains intact, but a Magneti Marelli suspension was added for improved handling, lowering the Avenger by 1.5 inches. Brakes were upgraded to include 14.25-inch front rotors and 13.5-inch rear rotors, and a rear brake rally package with a hand-operated brake was included.

Continue Reading: Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More Power, Less Pork…

Gallery: Mopar Avenger Rally Car

Continue reading Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More power, less pork… and not for production [w/video]

Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More power, less pork… and not for production [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More power, less pork… and not for production [w/video]”

Latvian team aims to be first to contest Dakar rally with EV [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, SUV, Racing

2012 OSCar eO

2012 OSCar eO – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Dakar Rally covers more than 5,500 miles of rough terrain through some of the harshest conditions in South America. It’s hell on both machines and drivers, demanding reliability from high-strung engines and full focus from people running on very little sleep.

The strains are enough to kill even the stoutest internal combustion engines and make veteran drivers crack. Despite all that, Latvian race car builder OSCar has decided to tackle the race in an EV. Powered by a permanent magnet motor making between 180 and 315 kW with between 370 and 590 lb. ft. of torque, the OSCar eO is an electrified version of the company’s Chevrolet LS-powered e3.

The eO’s top speed is a slightly underwhelming 86 miles per hour, but OSCar says the top speed won’t be an issue since it won’t be competing against conventionally-fueled entries.

OSCar says the eO will have a small, Nissan-sourced gasoline engine serving as a generator to help it cover long distances, but propulsion will be 100 percent electric. Helping the generator charge the batteries will be a regenerative braking system. Without the generator’s help, OSCar expects the e0 to be good for about 190 miles under light strain, and roughly half that under pressure.

To make sure the EV makes it from one end of the rally to the other, OSCar is sending along a support truck and an gas-powered e3 to make sure the car makes it to the finish in one piece. Watch for the OSCar eO when the 2012 Dakar Rally kicks off on January 1. Check out the video and press release after the break.

Gallery: 2012 OSCar eO

2012 OSCar eO

[Source: OSCar]

Continue reading Latvian team aims to be first to contest Dakar rally with EV [w/video]

Latvian team aims to be first to contest Dakar rally with EV [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Latvian team aims to be first to contest Dakar rally with EV [w/video]”

eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Porsche, Off-Road, Racing

1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute car

1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute – Click above for high-res image gallery

This 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute is the second such 953 rally car homage to come from this seller in less than a year. Last year, he reportedly sold a 1980 Porsche 911 Rothmans to the folks at GoPro for north of $70k. That car was nice, but was only two-wheel drive.

This year, he decided to go all out, and took a perfectly-maintained 1989 Porsche 911 C4 and turned it into a near-perfect representation of the 1984 Paris-Dakar-winning 953. Check out the listing on eBay Motors, where the car has yet to meet its reserve. Using a C4 as the base car means this tribute carries an all-Porsche all-wheel drive system, making this year’s car even more desirable than last year’s.

Best of all, the car looks the part, but retains its street legality and some crucial creature comforts to make it a useful means of transportation as well as a suitable weekend warrior. According to the eBay listing, the car retains ABS, cruise control, climate control, a sunroof, power locks, power mirrors, power windows, and a differential lock. See the car in action after the jump. Top tip, Chris M!

Gallery: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute

1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute

[Source: eBay Motors via BringATrailer | Images: Jeremy Cliff/ThePhotoMotive]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video]

eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video]”

Hyundai Veloster Rally Car makes its race debut

Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Hyundai, Racing

Hyundai Veloster Rally Car

Hyundai Veloster Rally Car – Click above for high-res image gallery

Just a little over a month after it was introduced at the Chicago Auto Show, the Hyundai Veloster Rally Car made its competition debut at the Global Rally Championship this past week.

Flying under the Rhys Millen Racing banner, which also works with Hyundai in Formula Drift and for the Pikes Peak Hill climb, a duo of Veloster rally cars managed to make it through the entire weekend trouble free – something that couldn’t be said for some of the more established teams. Hyundai’s team did experience some teething problems with tire compounds and gear ratio selections, but they plan to rectify those issues for the next round of RallyCross next month in Snoqualmie, WA.

We got up close and personal with Millen’s Veloster at the event, and came away with plenty of photos for your visual enjoyment. Check out the gallery below for a closer look at the 500-horsepower, 2,600-pound, all-wheel-drive, carbon fiber rocket ship.

Gallery: Hyundai Veloster Rally Car

Hyundai Veloster Rally Car makes its race debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Hyundai Veloster Rally Car makes its race debut”

Video: Two-time WRC champ Gronholm takes day one victory at Global Rally Cross

Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Ford, Racing

Global Rally Cross at Irwindale Speedway – Click above to watch video after the jump

Global Rally Cross kicked off its inaugural even yesterday at Irwindale Speedway. Drivers raced in bracket-style competition on a mixture of dirt and gravel stages. Competitors each ran events in two and four-wheel-drive cars.

Marcus Gronholm sealed victory at the wheel of a 550-horsepower Ford Fiesta in the all-wheel-drive round, beating out Swedish star Michael Jernberg in second and Formula Drift superstar (and U.S. Top Gear host) Tanner Faust in third.

Gronholm’s victory shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who watched him drive WRC cars in the early 2000s. For his part, Gronholm wasn’t too shocked either, and attributed his victory in part to experience with motocross. Check out video of the event after the jump.

[Source: Rally Buzz via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Video: Two-time WRC champ Gronholm takes day one victory at Global Rally Cross

Video: Two-time WRC champ Gronholm takes day one victory at Global Rally Cross originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Two-time WRC champ Gronholm takes day one victory at Global Rally Cross”

Video: Mini gets reintroduction to rally racing

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Mini

mini countryman wrc

Mini Countryman WRC teaser clip – Click above to watch video after the jump

Mini is venturing back into the World Rally Championship fold. That’s right, we said “back into,” because in the 60’s, Mini decided to take its Cooper and go rallying. This wasn’t simply a half-cocked effort either; Mini won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. Now the automaker is going full-tilt yet again by campaigning a Prodrive-prepared Countryman in the 2011 WRC season.

A teaser clip is in order to help get you psyched over Mini’s upcoming rally run. Thankfully, Mini has just such a clip and it’s available for your viewing pleasure after the jump.

[Source: YouTube via Inside Line]

Continue reading Video: Mini gets reintroduction to rally racing

Video: Mini gets reintroduction to rally racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Mini gets reintroduction to rally racing”

Chicago 2011: Hyundai Veloster Rally Car is ready to duel in U.S. Rallycross

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Hyundai

Hyundai Veloster Rally Car

Hyundai Veloster Rally Car – Click above for high-res image gallery

Rhys Millen drove his new Hyundai Veloster Rally Car into the spotlight at the Chicago Auto Show this morning. The purpose-built racer is fitted with a hand-built Hyundai 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine boosted by a HKS ball bearing turbocharger. As expected, the beast makes some serious power. According to Hyundai, the four-banger spits out out 500 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. An Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox sends the power to an Xtrac permanent four-wheel drive system. The suspension is comprised of Proflex jumbo coilovers that help give this competition Veloster generous travel. Hidden inside the 18-inch HRE alloy wheels (wrapped in 245/40-18 Hankook racing tires) are 14-inch Alcon rotors up front and 12-inch Alcon rotors in the rear (six-piston calipers sit at all four corners). With a curb weight of just 2,656 pounds, the Veloster Rally Car’s acceleration ought to be… um, sick fast.

Check out the Veloster Rally Car this year, as it competes in the 2011 U.S. Rallycross Championship driven by Millen, Robby Maddison and Marcus Dodd. Millen and Maddison will also drive the Veloster rally cars at Summer X Games, where it will compete against Ken Block and Tanner Foust in their Ford Fiesta racecars, among others. Should be fun.

Gallery: Hyundai Veloster Rally Car: Chicago 2011

Hyundai Veloster Rally Car: Chicago 2011

Chicago 2011: Hyundai Veloster Rally Car is ready to duel in U.S. Rallycross originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Chicago 2011: Hyundai Veloster Rally Car is ready to duel in U.S. Rallycross”

Robert Kubica medevac’d from crash at Ronde di Andora Rally [Updated]

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus, Renault, Skoda

Robert Kubica

Formula One teams take a huge risk when they let one of their star drivers contest other forms of motorsport during the offseason. Never mind questions of focus: crashes happen all the time in every motorsport discipline, and one false step can have disastrous consequences for both driver and team.

Renault, however, has long permitted Robert Kubica to have his run at rallying on the side. Not unlike Kimi Raikkonen, Kubica has been proving himself a competent rally driver, but his skills didn’t prevent him from suffering a high-speed crash today at the Ronde di Andora rally. This was the first time Kubica – fresh from topping the time sheets in the third F1 test session at Valencia – was driving a top-spec Super 2000 rally car, in this case a Skoda Fabia, which he crashed during the opening stage.

The Polish driver was airlifted to a local hospital, and though sources confirm that he remained conscious throughout, reports of multiple broken bones are circulating. This close to the opening of the 2011 F1 campaign, observers can’t help but wonder what will happen if Kubica isn’t well enough to start the season. Fortunately for the team, they’ve lined up a full roster of reserve drivers, including Bruno Senna, who is tipped as the top among them.

Of course we wish Kubica – who bounced back well from his spectacular crash at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix – a full and (characteristically) speedy recovery, and hope to see him back at the wheel in full health in short order. Follow the jump for the brief statement from Renault, and watch this space for more.

UPDATE: Lotus Renault GP reports that Kubica is undergoing surgery for multiple fractures to his right hand, arm and leg. Updated statement posted after the jump.

[Sources: Renault, Autosport]

Continue reading Robert Kubica medevac’d from crash at Ronde di Andora Rally [Updated]

Robert Kubica medevac’d from crash at Ronde di Andora Rally [Updated] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 07:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Robert Kubica medevac’d from crash at Ronde di Andora Rally [Updated]”

Hyundai teases Veloster rally car ahead of Chicago debut

Filed under: Motorsports, Hyundai, Racing

Hyundai Veloster rally car teaser – click above for high-res image gallery

Throughout 2010, Hyundai teased us with shots of its unconventionally sporty new three-door. Thankfully, we finally got to see the 2012 Hyundai Veloster in its production skin at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Now comes a brand-new image to further tantalize us. Wearing Red Bull Racing colors, this rally-prepped Veloster has been captured mid-flight.

We don’t have all of the details on this rally-ready Hyundai Veloster to devulge just yet, but we can confirm that we’re dying to know more. Set your calendars for February 9, 2011 at 9:45am CST because that’s when Hyundai will make good with more information. Also, be sure to tune in to our 2011 Chicago Auto Show coverage, because word on the tarmac, gravel and snow-covered street is that this mighty Veloster is hopping a plane to Chi-town… after it eventually touches down from this jump.

Gallery: Hyundai Veloster Rally Car

Hyundai Veloster Rally Car

[Source: Hyundai]

Hyundai teases Veloster rally car ahead of Chicago debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Hyundai teases Veloster rally car ahead of Chicago debut”