Subaru’s reborn rally team beaten by privateer at season-opening Sno*Drift [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Subaru, Racing

Sno Drift Rally

Sno Drift Rally – Click above to watch the video after the jump

After losing both Ken Block and Travis Pastrana last year, Subaru’s American rally efforts are undergoing a bit of rebuilding. The factory-backed Pleiades team took to the stages for the first time this season at Sno*Drift 2011 in Atlanta, Michigan, and despite a solid effort, driver Dave Mirra found himself three minutes and 53.1 seconds behind the father and son team of Travis and Terry Hanson in their 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Their win made United States rallying history as the duo became the first Super Production class effort to win a National Rally America event.

Day one saw Sno*Drift favorites Antoine L’Estage and David Higgins both forced to retire, leaving the Hanson duo to widen the gap between themselves and their closest competitors. Mirra, meanwhile, was handicapped by a tire puncture that saw the factory Subaru team fall all the way to fifth place before clawing its way back to take the silver.

The Hanson team was joined on the podium by Joseph Burke, another Super Production class contender. Burke was last year’s Rookie of the Year, and managed to give Mirra a solid fight for second place despite limited experience on snow and ice. Hit the jump for an excellent recap video.

[Source: Rally-America]

Continue reading Subaru’s reborn rally team beaten by privateer at season-opening Sno*Drift [w/video]

Subaru’s reborn rally team beaten by privateer at season-opening Sno*Drift [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is the Lotus Europa set to be reborn as a Proton?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lotus, Rumormill

Lotus Europa

Lotus Europa – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Lotus Europa died so that the Evora could live. Now it seems that Lotus-owner Proton is looking to revive the Europa and stick the Proton badge on the bodywork. The resulting Proton-badged Europa would provide a relatively affordable sports car for the Malaysian market.

In fact, this very car has recently popped up in the form of the Proton Lekir Concept, which is essentially a tiger-badged Europa. If this conceptual car ever comes to fruition, we’ll be interested to see how the Malaysian market would respond to a Lotus they can truly call their own.

Gallery: Lotus Europa

[Source: PaulTan]

Is the Lotus Europa set to be reborn as a Proton? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Reborn Lancia Stratos teased during testing

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Lancia

Lancia Stratos video

Lancia Stratos testing teaser – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’ll admit it: The New Lancia Stratos project gets us all hot and bothered. This special Ferrari F430-based one-off will make its official debut sometime next month, and the pre-reveal teasers are continuing to pour in.

This time around, we see the Stratos revival team working with former Formula 1 driver Tiago Monteiro to fine-tune the chassis out on Italy’s Balocco test track. The Stratos’ body is constructed out of carbon fiber and with its slim-and-trim curb weight and 50:50 weight distribution, we have no doubts that it will be an absolute hoot out on the track.

See the latest teaser video for yourself, after the jump, and stay tuned for the full Stratos details next month.

Gallery: Lancia Stratos Shows Itself

[Source: Vimeo]

Continue reading Video: Reborn Lancia Stratos teased during testing

Video: Reborn Lancia Stratos teased during testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wrecked Ferrari Enzo reborn as Bonneville Salt Flats racer?

Filed under: Etc., Ferrari, Specialty

In a rebuilding job worthy of The Six Million Dollar Man, Richard Loosee’s T-Top Ferrari Enzo destroyed in a 200-mile-per-hour shunt has been reborn to take on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Gone are the T-Tops, replaced by something just as outrageous: a set of turbos that will boost the Enzo’s V12 to between 850 and 1,000 horsepower when gunning time comes. And they were able to repair and reuse the car’s original block.

The wrecked stallion required an enormous amount of work, including repairing the carbon fiber hoop of the original tub which was fractured in the crash. The car is running during Speed Week at Bonneville, but details are still scarce. However, according to insiders on the project at Ferrari Chat, the powerplant is aided by two MoTeC M600 Engine Management Systems and Injector Dynamics ID1000 injectors. It also has a nosecone to keep the front end stable above 225 mph, a fitting match for those exhaust trumpets. Hat tips to Erik and Brandon

[Source: Daily Derbi]

Wrecked Ferrari Enzo reborn as Bonneville Salt Flats racer? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Clearer look at reborn Lancia Stratos emerges

Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Europe

The internets recently caught fire after what appeared to be a new Lancia Stratos was spotted hustling around a Fiat test track in Italy. At this point, it’s still difficult to tell whether the car is an all new project from the company that brought the world some of the most wicked rally beasts of all time or if a bored exec simply decided to take the 2005 Fenomenon Stratos Concept Car out for a quick run around. If that latter possibility is true, the car has received a little bit of front fascia work since it took a spin on the show circuit some five years ago.

Whatever the case, the crew at Fiat Blog have come up with a few renderings to help those of us with imagination impairments figure out exactly what the car would look like from all sides. Here’s a hint: It’s as hot as you’d expect an Italian wedge to be. So far, all we know is what Italispeed – the site that broke the shots originally – has suggested, which is that the car we’ve all been drooling over is a one-off project for one very wealthy individual. Head over to Fiat Blog for a look at all of the rendered goodness. Thanks for the tip, Sean!

[Source: Fiat Blog]

Spy Shots: Clearer look at reborn Lancia Stratos emerges originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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