http://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track.aspxThe online diary by the people behind MSN Cars.http://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=4a90f38b-e5d8-48ab-ba16-291366059484The spec sheet says 182hp, but that’s not actually the whole story…Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:01:52 -0700cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a94a90f38b-e5d8-48ab-ba16-291366059484BlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7232013-03-14T16:05:37.837The spec sheet says 182hp, but that’s not actually the whole story…Amongst the elements of genius that assemble to create the remarkable new Fiesta ST, Ford has been rather sneaky with the power output. By “homologating” it at 182hp, the blue oval has managed to keep insurance down to a slightly more reasonable level – but if you’ve spotted that the US version appears to offer 200hp, don’t worry.   Although not explicitly mentioned in any of the spec sheets, it turns out the ST’s 1.6-litre EcoBoost turbo petrol engine has an overboost function. Stamp on that right hand pedal like you want to beat it flat, and even the European spec cars will peak at 200 horses – and, more impressive still, max torque jumps from 177lb ft to 214lb ft, albeit temporarily.   It’s the “transient” nature of this performance that allows Ford to quote the lower figure for official purposes in the EU. But that is can peak at a higher figure makes the £2,000 saving the Fiesta offers compared to the rival Renaultsport Clio (just confirmed) and 208 GTi a bigger advantage still.   We’ll have full reviews on both French competitors very shortly… Ford Fiesta ST review (2013 onwards) On Bing: see pictures of the Ford Fiesta ST Find out how much a used Fiesta ST costs on Auto TraderVery nice car, Ford Fiesta is the best car I ever have. Anna @ <a href="http://griyamobilkita.webs.com/">rental mobil jakarta</a>BlogArticleOn launchhttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=07c7a6b3-bad1-495b-a2b0-9bea6d661d15Top Gear has a new Kia cee'd: so too does MSN Cars...Fri, 29 Mar 2013 04:00:13 -0700richardauock4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a907c7a6b3-bad1-495b-a2b0-9bea6d661d15BlogArticle8EAF040BEB18F1EE112013-02-18T06:34:27.06Top Gear has a new Kia cee'd: so too does MSN Cars...MSN Cars is, like Top Gear, running a new Kia cee’d. Jeremy introduced the show’s cee’d last night; we introduced ours last month, and have already covered over 2,500 miles in it. And how’s it proving? Perfectly reasonable.   The Top Gear boys have of course gone for the hatchback. This is more reasonably priced than our Sportswagon estate, and they don’t really need luggage space to do fast lap times. They’ve chosen the same colour as us though, which is encouraging, and Matt LeBlanc has already given it the seal of approval. We won’t be letting our celebrity mates drive ours at high speed around a test track, but are already pressing it into the equally-tough challenge of family life and high-mileage business use.   So far, it’s impressed us with its high quality feel, its bounty of equipment and the sheer space on offer. Not only is it reasonably priced, but you also get a bootful of attribute for your money. How perfectly sensible and satisfying, we’re thinking. Less reasonable so far is the fuel consumption, which is proving a tad disappointing, but we’re certainly getting better than the Top Gear celebs thrashing it around the test track do. Maybe it too will improve with a good thrashing or two. But it’s the newfound TV stardom and celebrity status given to our new long-termer that’s most pleasing. The old Kia cee’d was a breakthrough car but looking dated by the end of its time with Top Gear. With its smart all-Schreyer design, Audi cues aplenty and jazzy LED running lights, the new one already looks much more appealing on TV, and may already have people checking out the Kia price lists. For those who are interested in what it’s like living with the Top Gear Reasonably Priced Car, follow our progress to see if it’s reasonably good out on the road too.   Hey, we may even take up the challenge of getting a hot lap or two in the bag some time.  Top Gear's new Reasonably Priced Car Kia cee'd Sportswagon long-term test: arrivalI think you'll find it'll give a better mpg than most german car's.  It's only done 2500 miles give it a chance, plus maybe the onboard computer is more real world accurate.BlogArticlehttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=4f2cfafb-731b-4770-a3ba-474c363bf2f8Meet Mehmet Kiliç. If we're lucky he might just help make Toyotas fun to drive for everyone.Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:43:16 -0800cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a94f2cfafb-731b-4770-a3ba-474c363bf2f8BlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7222013-01-28T16:49:33.653Meet Mehmet Kiliç. If we're lucky he might just help make Toyotas fun to drive for everyone.It’s not often we name-check an engineer during the first drive review of a new vehicle, but Mehmet Kiliç is a man worth knowing about – he could well save us all from a future filled with boring Toyotas. Toyota builds great cars. You don’t get to be the world number one – as has recently been reconfirmed – without a making a decent hash of things. But while Toyota’s cars are indisputably reliable, well made and long lasting, there’s no getting away from the fact they lack sparkle compared to the competition. And the impression of being built to a very exacting price only seems to get more pronounced with every succeeding generation. This is the Toyota way – the company’s profit-maximising production techniques are legendary. But while it means your new Auris is unlikely to break down, the actual joy of ownership is far removed from the experience you get behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus. Fundamentally, all of them do the same job; it’s just that the Toyota feels made to do it at as little cost as possible to the manufacturer, rather than for the benefit of you, the customer. A clear choice, then – between soulless dependability and potentially flakey personality. But what if Toyota decided to things a little differently? That there are changes afoot at the Japanese giant has already been signalled by last year’s astonishingly involving GT86 coupé and the impressive new Lexus GS. Now along comes the 2013 Verso, representing the first time Toyota has let Europe take the lead on a new vehicle project. Kiliç was the man at the helm. Officially his title is Assistant Chief Engineer, but as top dog on the European side of a European operation it was down to him to argue for the changes that went against Toyota’s core principles. Take the steering, for example, which is much meatier than Toyota would usually allow. It’s not performance car heavy, by any means, but there’s a far greater sense that you’re being given a realistic representation of the forces at work on 1.5-tonnes of plastic and metal. Allied to better damping and body control, this means the Verso goes from being bland transport to a treat that’s actually quite agreeable on a twisty road. Without any compromise in comfort at all. Then there’s the rejection of eco-optimsed gearing for the revised 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine. A 3-4g/km CO2 saving wasn’t worth the compromise in driving dynamics to Kiliç and his team – a sentiment so refreshing at the start of 2013 it’s like having lemon squirted in your eye. To hear it coming from someone at Toyota, of all brands, that lemon may as well be tequila. Add in the improved refinement – Kiliç casually pointing out that Japanese motorways are often lined with wind and noise screens, which is like a lightbulb exploding in terms of previous issues – the detailed engine mapping and improvements to the way the Verso looks inside and out, and suddenly you’ve got a people carrier that even the Ford C-Max should eye warily. None of the changes alter the basic functionality of what is at heart a practical, seven-seater family holdall. But they do make it feel a great deal more premium. As if this is no longer a machine that’s simple been assembled; rather one that’s been loving honed in the aftermath as well. If this is the impact of letting Europe take the lead, then Toyota needs more of it, pronto. And given half an ounce of cunning, it would certainly make sense to jump on ‘localisation’ as others begin to falter with global model plans (like Ford has with the delayed forthcoming Mondeo). Gladly, Kiliç says we can expect to see the next European-led project come to fruition in 2014. And while he wouldn’t say it out loud, the gleam in his eye suggests that somewhere along the line, he and his team will get a crack at fine-tuning the promised Auris hot hatch. And as of now that car suddenly seems a hell of a lot more appealing. Picture courtesy of Will McManus and the official Toyota Blog; to read an interview with Mehmet Kiliç, click here. First drive review: Toyota Verso (2013 onwards) Toyota GT86: what a difference a week makes First drive review: Lexus GS (2012 onwards) On Bing: see images of the Toyota Verso Find out how much a used Toyota Verso costs on Auto TraderVery nice looking car. Will be interesting to see what Toyota come up with in the future. TomBlogArticleOn launchIndustry observationsCommenthttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=a1d8f823-3536-4283-acb5-b5d061abbfd3Forget Gran Turismo – this is how Nissan really turns gamers into prosSun, 27 Jan 2013 03:04:15 -0800cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a9a1d8f823-3536-4283-acb5-b5d061abbfd3BlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7012013-01-28T08:59:51.06Forget Gran Turismo – this is how Nissan really turns gamers into prosWith a certain amount of inevitability, Nissan made good use of the Juke Nismo launch earlier this week to remind the assembled motoring press about its GT Academy programme – which has been turning gamers into real racers with remarkable success since 2009. This included an appearance from Lucas Ordoñez – the first GT Academy winner and graduate – co-opted into providing passenger laps in the rabid Juke R (though given how much he was giggling at the limit, this hardly seemed to be a chore). But have you ever wondered how Nissan turns sofa-dwelling joypad junkies into fully-fledged podium patrons? The complete answer involves everything from fitness and dietary plans to intensive driver training in real racing cars. But given it’s not always practical to spend high octane money ruining tyres and running up the mileage on expensively assemble competition componentry, there’s also quite a bit of time spent in race simulators. Such as the fuzzily photographed example in the image above. The photograph is fuzzy because I took it, in a darkened room adjacent to the main press conference hall. Shortly afterwards I got to have a go. The graphics might not look that hot, but in terms of involvement and accuracy this is a step up from Gran Turismo – or even Forza. Simulating a 600hp Oreca Nissan LMP2 car, the force feedback system on the steering is cranked to just 32% of its total capability, and I still felt like I’d worn out my thumbs after half a dozen laps. It is apparently impossible to stand on the brake pedal too hard, as it authentically translates the force you can generate into the stopping power available in the projected racing environment. And there’s even an eye-tracking camera to monitor whether the wannabe pros are looking in the right places on approach to the corners. Not to mention true data logging, so drivers can precisely compare lap times with each other. Climbing into the thing is approximately as difficult as getting into a real single seater, and requires the removal of the steering wheel. This is taken from a genuine LMP2 car, complete with an array of on-wheel controls, paddle-shifters and rim-mounted shift-lights. Change up as soon as you see blue. All that’s missing is the racing harness that would stop you being thrown out in an actual crash…   The advice is to take it gently at first, just like a sensible chap would in a real racing car. The precision of the controls is apparent immediately, and given the time you can set the car up in here exactly as you would out in the world. But it’s the effort required to both steer and brake that makes the biggest impression. No wonder these boys need to be fit – and in the simulator I’m not even being subjected to any g-forces.   This isn’t a racing game, so there are no other cars – it’s just me against the circuit, and the clock. Yet the determination to do better and go faster comes on like a deceptively innocuous drug – in this respect, it is exactly like lapping a track in the real. A heady blend of satisfaction and frustration. It’s brilliant.   Only the knowledge that others are patiently waiting their turn keeps me from staying on board all night. Well, that and the ultimate reality that I have a lot of words to write before my evening is done. One for the lottery win list, without a doubt. First drive review: Nissan Juke Nismo (2013 onwards) First drive review: Nissan Juke R (2012 onwards) GT Academy: from Silverstone to Gran Turismo in pictures MSN Cars at GT Academy 2011With a certain amount of inevitability, Nissan made good use of the Juke Nismo launch earlier this week to remind the assembled motoring press about its GT Academy programme – which has been turning gamers into real racers with remarkable success since 2009. This included an appearance from Lucas Ordoñez – the first GT Academy winner and graduate – co-opted into providing passenger laps in the rabid Juke R (though given how much he was giggling at the limit, this hardly seemed to be a chore). But have you ever wondered how Nissan turns sofa-dwelling joypad junkies into fully-fledged podium patrons? The complete answer involves everything from fitness and dietary plans to intensive driver training in real racing cars. But given it’s not always practical to spend high octane money ruining tyres and running up the mileage on expensively assemble competition componentry, there’s also quite a bit of time spent in race simulators. Such as the fuzzily photographed example in the image above. The photograph is fuzzy because I took it, in a darkened room adjacent to the main press conference hall. Shortly afterwards I got to have a go. The graphics might not look that hot, but in terms of involvement and accuracy this is a step up from Gran Turismo – or even Forza. Simulating a 600hp Oreca Nissan LMP2 car, the force feedback system on the steering is cranked to just 32% of its total capability, and I still felt like I’d worn out my thumbs after half a dozen laps. It is apparently impossible to stand on the brake pedal too hard, as it authentically translates the force you can generate into the stopping power available in the projected racing environment. And there’s even an eye-tracking camera to monitor whether the wannabe pros are looking in the right places on approach to the corners. Not to mention true data logging, so drivers can precisely compare lap times with each other. Climbing into the thing is approximately as difficult as getting into a real single seater, and requires the removal of the steering wheel. This is taken from a genuine LMP2 car, complete with an array of on-wheel controls, paddle-shifters and rim-mounted shift-lights. Change up as soon as you see blue. All that’s missing is the racing harness that would stop you being thrown out in an actual crash…   The advice is to take it gently at first, just like a sensible chap would in a real racing car. The precision of the controls is apparent immediately, and given the time you can set the car up in here exactly as you would out in the world. But it’s the effort required to both steer and brake that makes the biggest impression. No wonder these boys need to be fit – and in the simulator I’m not even being subjected to any g-forces.   This isn’t a racing game, so there are no other cars – it’s just me against the circuit, and the clock. Yet the determination to do better and go faster comes on like a deceptively innocuous drug – in this respect, it is exactly like lapping a track in the real. A heady blend of satisfaction and frustration. It’s brilliant.   Only the knowledge that others are patiently waiting their turn keeps me from staying on board all night. Well, that and the ultimate reality that I have a lot of words to write before my evening is done. One for the lottery win list, without a doubt. First drive review: Nissan Juke Nismo (2013 onwards) First drive review: Nissan Juke R (2012 onwards) GT Academy: from Silverstone to Gran Turismo in pictures MSN Cars at GT Academy 2011BlogArticleOn launchMotorsporthttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=6080c3db-34b6-4f22-9ff4-e193de38b04eTue, 08 Jan 2013 07:37:33 -0800the_roadtester4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a96080c3db-34b6-4f22-9ff4-e193de38b04eBlogArticle697CD543E66C8C9A012013-01-09T09:59:57.647Alistair Weaver writes   The world's toughest race: the Dakar Rally in pictures   Sunday, 20th January   After the tension and euphoria of yesterday, the celebratory parade through Santiago de Chile was a chance for the Race2Recovery team todrink in their Dakar success. Chile’s capital put on a great show with thousands of people turning out to cheer on a tired old Wildcat, driven by Matt O’Hare and Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie. After a tour of the city centre, the whole team climbed the Dakar podium for a moment that marked the culmination of two years’ hard work.    “It’s just an incredible feeling,” said O’Hare. “Our goal was to be the first predominantly disabled team to finish the Dakar and we made it. I drove up on to the podium with half the team sat on the car. Some of the guys were waving their prosthetics in the air to celebrate. A crazy day, but one that makes all the hard work worthwhile.”   Gillespie becomes the first amputee ever to complete the Dakar Rally. “When I stood on the start line in Lima, Peru, all this felt so far away. Then when Joy started overheating and we had to pull over every 30km, it felt even further away. But we made it and it’s been great to share this moment with the rest of the team.”     Joining the celebrations were Justin Birchall and Lee Townsend, who were involved in a tragic road traffic accident in the first week of the rally. “I’ve got some broken ribs and I’m feeling beaten up but I wasn’t going to miss this,” said Birchall. “It was a horrific accident and our thoughts are with the families of those who didn’t survive.” John Winskill, the third member of the team injured in the accident, is back in the UK receiving treatment but passed on his congratulations.   The last fifteen days and 5500 miles really has been an incredible journey. Those us of who spent the month of January 2013 with the Race2Recovery team will never forget it.   Saturday, 19th January   At 6.30pm local time, Corporal Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie crossed the finish line in Santiago de Chile to become the first amputee ever to complete the Dakar Rally. Co-driver Gillespie and driver Major Matt O’Hare were cheered across the line by the whole Race2Recovery team as they completed an extraordinary journey.  For the past two weeks and 5500 miles, the duo have guided their troublesome rally car, nicknamed ‘Joy’, through some of the world’s toughest, most desolate terrain.   Over the past fortnight the Race2Recovery team has shed tears of pain and frustration, but today there were only tears of joy for Joy. For two years, this novice team of injured servicemen has battled against the odds to take on the toughest rally in the world. Today, they achieved theirgoal of making it to the end.   “After everything we’ve been through, this is an incredible feeling,” said team manager, army medic Andrew ‘Pav’ Taylor. “There have been many times over the past two years, and even over the past two weeks, when this felt like an impossible dream, but here we are. We have an amazing team andeveryone has played their part in this success. Now we can celebrate.”   Tomorrow, all the vehicles that have completed the rally will enjoy a ceremonial parade through the streets of Santiago de Chile and a visit to the Dakar podium. “I can’t wait,” said O’Hare. “It’s been amazing journey that I’ll never forget. I’m so proud of Barney and the whole team.”   For amputees Captain Tony Harris and Corporal Tom Neathway, who launched the Race2Recovery project while undergoing rehabilitation, it was an emotional moment. Both started the rally but had to retire after mechanical problems. “Tom and I are obviously disappointed not to finish ourselves, but this project has always been about the team, not the individual,” said Harris. “We’re going to enjoy the parade tomorrow then focus on raising money for the Tedworth House Personal Recovery Centre.” Friday, 18th January   We stood on top of the dune for three hours. It was thirty-five degrees Celsius, we could see for over 20km and we could see no-one else. Sun cream was applied, cameras were readied, GPS coordinates were confirmed and then Robby Gordon’s Hummer appeared, powering up the sand with an angry snarl. Man and machine were in charge of nature.   Gordon was followed by the other leading cars in the Dakar Rally; a plethora of garish, million dollar specials built for the sand. Then the front running trucks arrived, looking as incongruous as ever as they monstered their way up the giant sandcastles. Time moved on and the mid-field arrived, zig-zagging their way up the dune as they fought for traction. We waited some more and then, in the distance, there was the faint cry of a familiar V8 engine.   Out of the dust came ‘Joy’, Race2Recovery’s remaining Wildcat. Driver Matt O’Hare traversed the dune, turned right and powered on. We pointed our cameras and co-driver Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie even had time to wave. Joy took a breath, gulped down a litre of fuel, crested the dune and disappeared.   It’s only by witnessing it in close quarters that you get a true sense of the scale of the Dakar. By the time they arrived at the dune, all the crews had travelled over 5000 miles and everyone had endured some sort of drama. This was the second to last stage but there was let up. That’s why they call it the world’s toughest rally.   Today’s stage lasted 441km and there was an additional 294km of road sections before the cars arrived at the Dakar’s final bivouac. Joy exited the special stage at around 11.30pm local time and as she followed the road route to camp, team manager Andrew ‘Pav’ Taylor summed up Race2Recovery’s feelings:   Tomorrow is the Dakar’s last serious stage before a ceremonial finish in Santiago de Chile on Sunday. It spans 346km with the potential for heartbreak at every turn. Tonight, as the team prepare ‘Joy’ for one final mission, they will be hoping that she, Barney and Matt can conquer the Dakar one more time.   Thursday, 17th January   Today the Dakar Rally crossed back over the Andes to Copiapó, Chile. The journey began with a 392km road section, which should have been a relaxing drive through some of the world’s most desolate and dramatic scenery. But the absence of tarmac made the route over the mountains as perilous as a special stage.   The heady cocktail of giant Dakar trucks, dirt tracks and an altitude approaching 5000m, made for moments of genuine jeopardy. One of the team’s Land Rover Discovery support vehicles was clipped by a competitor car and now bears a Dakar wound. It was a relief that the ‘Joy’, the team’s remaining Wildcat rally raid car, made it to the start of the special stageunscathed.   Today’s stage started in Chile and saw the return of the dreaded Dakar dunes. In the soft, sandy conditions, getting stuck is an ever-present danger and for the Race2Recovery team, this was made worse by a technical malfunction. “Joy wasn’t starting properly,” explained driver Matt O’Hare. “This meant we were paranoid about stalling or getting stuck in the sand. It was all about keeping going and conserving momentum.” As I write, the mechanics are preparing to work through the night to fix the problem.   Gillespie’s skills and chirpy demeanour have been a key factor in the team’s success. “It’s another stage ticked off but I’m really trying to focus on taking each day as it comes and not to think too much about getting to the end,” he explained. No sooner was he out of the car than he was being handed the routebook for tomorrow’s stage, which includes a 441km offroad section.   While Joy was out playing in the dunes, the team’s US Marines, Mark Zambon and Tim Read, took time out to visit Robby Gordon, who was the first American to win a stage of the Dakar. Gordon devotes his life to winning the rally (he was second on today’s stage) and lives in a different world of posh transporters and hotel rooms. He was, though, hugely impressed with Race2Recovery’s efforts:     “To do this event with two legs is hard enough,” he said, “but to take it on with only one or even no legs is incredible. This is a badass event and these guys are doing an awesome job.” Tuesday, January 15th   According to the official Dakar guide, today’s stage might have reminded, “the most open-minded of participants of Ireland in some places.” Race2Recovery’s resident Irishman, Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie, wasn’t convinced. “I don’t remember it ever being forty degrees Celsius in Ireland,” he said, “and we’re more into mud than dust.”   Right now, Joy is proving true to Kipling’s old adage about keeping your head while all around them are losing theirs. Both the team’s eight-wheel support trucks through a strop yesterday and will play no further part in the rally. As Joy, O’Hare and Gillespie left for the stage start, the rest of the team was busy re-packing all the team’s equipment.   The Renault Kerax race truck is now looking a lot less racy as a packhorse. Everything that wouldn’t fit into the truck has been loaded into the team’s Land Rover Discovery support vehicles. The team now has a super-slim look, but tonight the mechanics will go to work as normal.   Argentina has been a great friend to the rally. Everywhere we go, we’re mobbed. The team’s mechanics have had to perfect their autographs, even signing body parts on occasion. This afternoon, the cameraman filming a documentary about the team looked somewhat bemused to be handed a baby for a photograph.   Monday, 14th January   As if to punish the drivers for having a rest, the organisers made the ninth stage of the Dakar the longest in this year’s event. This was an 852km epic, from Tucumán to Cordoba that included a 593km special stage. For the Race2Recovery team and their one remaining Wildcat, ‘Joy’, it would present another fearsome test.   Yesterday, the team’s mechanics spent the ‘rest’ day trying to solve the cooling and fuelling problems that have blighted Joy since thebeginning of the rally. Everyone went to bed knowing their handiwork would be tested in the forty degrees heat of Argentina.   Matt O’Hare and co-driver Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie left the bivouac at 8.30am to begin another marathon adventure. Today’s stage would focus on tight, gravel tracks, the sort of terrain used employed by the World Rally Championship when it visits Argentina. The special stage was split into two parts, linked by a section of road.   It was the hottest day of the rally, but the intrepid trio – O’Hare, Gillespie and Joy – emerged from the first stage in buoyant mood. “Joy hasn’t overheated once,” said O’Hare, “we’ve actually been overtaking other cars. It’s a fantastic feeling.” Gillespie, an amputee who lost his right leg serving in Afghanistan, was equally ebullient. “It might just be that we can complete the stage without driving through the night.”   They are also having to get used to superstar status. ‘Joy’ was mobbed when she pulled into a filling station to refuel. It’s doubtful that even Argentinean golden boy Lionel Messi would have received as much attention as the two guys in dirty overalls and a tired old car. After completing the rest of the stage, Joy finally rolled into the bivouac just before 1am. "This was supposed to be the longest stage in the Dakar, but it wasn't for us," said Gillespie. "I'm off to bed." Sunday, 13th January   Today was the Dakar’s only rest day and the drivers and co-drivers had a decent night’s sleep for the first time in a week. For those still left in the rally it was also a chance to reflect on the hard work done and to look ahead to another challenging week. Tomorrow is the longest stage of the rally, an 852km epic to Córdoba that includes a 593km special stage. Intemperatures that are likely to hit 45 degrees Celsius, it will be another extraordinary test of endurance.   For the mechanics, today was anything but a rest day. The team’s mechanics have been working all day to fix the problems that have blighted the team’s remaining Wildcat, ‘Joy’, since the first stage. “We’ve had a huge list of things to do,” says mechanic Sean Whatley. “On the Dakar you’ve got limited resources so you need some lateral thinking. We’ve done everything we can to improve the cooling for the fuel system, even scavenging parts from our retired cars to improve the efficiency of the radiators. Joy has new oil and new tyres and she’s ready to go. The next few days are going to be tough for all of us, but we’re ready for the challenge.”   Saturday, 12th January   Today was supposed to be another monster for the Race2Recovery team, but then the rain came and washed away the jeopardy. The special stage was cut short by flash floods and the team retired to the bivouac in Tucumán, Argentina, in spirits as high as the altitude.   Tomorrow is the Dakar’s only rest day. It’s an opportunity for the drivers and co-drivers to catch up on sleep, but the mechanics will be hard at work prepping the car for the week ahead. “Calling it a ‘rest’ day is a bit of a misnomer,” reckons Team Manager Andrew 'Pav' Taylor. “For the mechanics, it’s probably the busiest day of the rally.”   Taylor is an impressive guy. An army medic who was injured in an attack by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, he has led Race2Recovery through an extraordinary week. “Introduction’s to the Dakar come no tougher than this,” he admits. “It’s been hard, but we’ve kept going.   Friday, 11th January   Today, the Dakar got high. After six days of dune bashing, the exhausted crews were asked to travel 751km across the Andes in Argentina. Altitude is a strange companion. You can be the fittest person in the world and still get whacked by an irrational sickness at the mountain top. According to the satnav system in my Land Rover Discovery support vehicle, we reached a peak altitude today of 4853m, or just under 16,000 feet in old money. At this height, you really can sense and even taste the thinness of the air.   For hundreds of miles, we drifted through a vast, craggy wilderness, crossing from Chile to Argentina and ultimately descending to abivouac near the characterful town of Salta. For the support crews, it was a day to crack out the cameras, but the competitors had little respite.   Having travelled through the night, Matt O’Hare and Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie only just made it to the start of today’s stage. “To be honest, I don’t know how we’re keeping going,” said Gillespie, “but on we go.” Their resilience and determination has been incredible to behold.   Their troublesome Wildcat, ‘Joy’, suffered fuelling problems en route but they made it to the bivouac in Salta at 2am. The mechanics immediately went to work to fix the problem and the intrepid duo will this morning start stage 8 to Tucuman.   Thursday, January 10th   “We’d just crested a dune and we heard this truck coming towards us,” says Gott. “He was hooting his horn but he kept coming and smacked into the back of us.” The left rear corner of the Race2Recovery Wildcat was left bearing a sizeable war wound, but there was no serious damage. “It could have been much worse,” admitted Gott. “In a single smack, your Dakar dream can be over.”   Sadly for Gott and Zambon, his words spoken at the midway point of the 6th stage proved prescient. On the following section of special stage, Gott hit a ditch and rolled the Wildcat. A Dutch support truck helped them to escape the car and neither have suffered serious injuries. “We were travelling about 60mph,” explained Zambon. “It was a big accident but we’re OK, and there was a funny moment. When the Dutch guys pulled me out, one of my legs fell off and the guy panicked. I had to tell him they are prosthetic.”     The retirement of a third Wildcat is a disappointing blow for the team. “Ben has been with the team a long time,” said Captain Tony Harris. “His Dakar experience, driving prowess and undoubted skills as a mechanic have been invaluable. Mark Zambon is one of two US Marine’s on the team. He’s an inspirational character with a great sense of humour, who really understand the spirit and ambition of Race2Recovery.   The fourth Wildcat, ‘Joy’, driven by Major Matt O’Hare, got stuck in the dunes and only managed to make it back to the bivouac this morning. They immediately turned around and headed back out on to the next stage. “Our car, ‘Joy’ overheats in the sun, so we’re having to do the Dakar in the dark,” said co-driver Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie. It’s frustrating, but we won’t give up.”   The incident also underlined just how much of a team game the Dakar Rally is. Race2Recovery comprises twenty-eight people. The mechanics have a nocturnal schedule, working through the night to prepare the cars for the next stage. Then by day they sleep in the team’s support trucks and Land Rover Discovery’s, which are driven from bivouac to bivouac. It’s a strange, nomadic and hugely demanding existence.   Today the whole team must cross the Andes to the Argentinean town of Salta, reaching a height of almost 3900m. For the Wildcat, this will be a 751km day, including a 218km special stage. For everyone, the rest day on January 13th still feels a long way away. Thursday 10th January   Late last night some distressing news reached camp about a road traffic accident involving one of the team’s support vehicles. Justin Birchall, who retired from the rally during stage 4, Lee Townsend, a team mechanic, and the team’s logistics expert, John Winskill, were involved and have been badly injured. They’ve been transferred to a hospital in Lima. Two other vehicles were also involved in the accident and two people received fatal injuries.   In the bivouac, there was an obvious sense of shock. Race2Recovery is a close-knit team who have been through a lot together. Team Principal Quinn Evans gave everyone the news and the team agreed that they’d continue in the rally. Everyone went about their business in a professionalmanner and this morning, Race2Recovery’s two remaining Wildcat’s left the bivouac to begin the 6th stage across the Atacama Desert.    Captain Tony Harris, one of the founders of the Race2Recovery team said, “Our hearts go out to the families and relatives of those who have died in this tragic accident and we offer them our condolences and sympathy. Our entire team has been struck by the friendliness and support we have received from the Peruvian people since arriving for the Dakar Rally.”   I’ll keep everyone updated when we know more. Tuesday, 8th January   For seven hours the film crew following the Race2Recovery team watched cars descend a mighty dune, cross a wadi (dry river bed) and then scramble up the other side. Some powered on through, some got stuck and had to dig themselves out, and others bore the scars of battle. Rally favourite Robby Gordon arrived with the front of his Hummer missing.   It was entertaining stuff, but as the sun set there was still no sign of the team's Wildcats. Darkness fell and just as the cameras were being packed away, the telltale cry of a Land Rover V8 was heard across the valley. Two headlights and then four were spotted tracking down the dune and across the wadi. Minutes later the two cars roared into view.   As I write it's gone midnight and both Wildcats are still battling their way to the bivouac. For the injured servicemen inside, it's a huge mental and physical challenge. "The last couple of days have been incredibly tough," admitted Team Manager Andrew 'Pav' Taylor. "But this is the Dakar. We've come here for the ultimate automotive challenge, so none of this is a surprise,"   While Birchall and O'Hare were making decent progress, the Wildcat of Ben Gott and US Marine Mark Zambon was having a tougher time. Mechanical problems had left them lagging behind their teammates. "They've had some troubles but Ben's an exceptional mechanic and has fixed the problems as they've occurred," said Taylor. "Ben's got the Dakar logo tattooed on his arm and both he and Mark epitomise the sprit of this event."   As the carsmotored on, there was some cheer for the team with news that the support truck has been repaired in the desert and is also en route to the bivouac. It's been quite a day and there'll be no respite tomorrow as the Dakar leaves Peru and heads south into Chile. Tuesday, 8th January   This morning, the team woke to the sad news that the Wildcat of Tony Harris and Cathy Derousseaux has been excluded from the Dakar Rally. Having returned to the bivouac after midnight at the end of stage 2, the team were allowed to start yesterday’s stage pending an analysis of the previous day’s results. A committee of the race organisers met yesterday and based on the evidence before them determined that Harris and Derousseau had not reached sufficient way points to be allowed to continue in the rally. This decision was posted overnight, Peruvian time.   “In the back of our minds, we thought this might be a possibility,” admitted Harris, “but we powered through yesterday’s stage without difficulty and we’re looking forwards to another successful day today. After two years of hard work, it’s heartbreaking for Cathy and I, but the Race2Recovery project has always been about the team and we must remember that we still have three Wildcats competing strongly in the rally. Cathy and I will now do everything we can to support them as they strive to reach the finish.”   Saturday, January 5th 2013 Dakar veterans will tell you that the Rally can bite at anytime and on the very first day, it bit the Race2Recovery team. Just before start of the first special stage, the Wildcat driven by amputee Tony Harris developed a problem with its front differential. The support team sprang into action, removing a propshaft that allowed the car to continue in two-wheel drive.   Today’s stage, just 13km long, was designed a prologue, an hors d’oeuvre for the challenges to come. But in the Peruvian desert, there’s no such thing as easy ride. Four kilometres into the stage, Harris telephoned the team to report a problem with the rear of the car. For now he was stranded in the desert, reliant upon the assistance of the team’s race truck, due to enter the stage in a couple of hours.   The Renault Kerax truck’s role in life is to support the quartet of Wildcats. It carries an array of spares to fix the cars on the fly, and can even be employed to tow them to the end of the stage. In the dunes, the truck’s crew of Mark Cullum, Charles Simcock and Chris Ratter replaced the Wildcat’s rear differential, allowing the car to continue. With the help of a team from Renault trucks, together they worked their way back to the bivouac, finallyarriving at 11pm.     The three remaining Wildcats successfully completed the stage and are looking forwards to tomorrow’s challenge, a 327km loop that includes a 242km special stage. It promises to be another epic day. Friday, January 4th 2013   Today’s been true to the old cliché about the calm before the storm. With the cars in parc ferme, the team have had a day to wash some clothes, take a deep breath and prepare for the extraordinary challenge that is the Dakar. Tonight will be their last in a proper bed until the cars reach Santiago de Chile on January 20th, by which time they’ll have raced over 5000 miles.      Off-road expert Mark Cullum has led the team’s training over the past few months. “The first special stage is only 13km long so it’s a chance to bed in,” he explains. “Everyone will be excited but we’ve drilled into the drivers that they must be restrained, sympathetic and alert. The smoother you are, the more efficient you are. That’s how we’ll get to the finish.” Cullum will drive the team’s race truck. He’ll compete in the rally, but his main focus is to support the rally cars, should they hit trouble.    Tomorrow the rally leaves Lima and tracks 263km south along the Peruvian coast before the start of the stage. The first bivouac of the rally will then be erected in the town of Pisco. By the time the team clamber into their sleeping bags late tomorrow night, they’ll at last have a proper understanding of what it means to take part in the toughest rally of them all.  Thursday, January 3rd 2013   For the Race2Recovery team, today marked the end of the beginning. After almost two years of hard work, four Wildcat rally raid cars past scrutineering, climbed a ceremonial ramp, took the applause of the Peruvian crowd and officially began the world’s toughest rally.     The car’s have now entered the parc ferme compound and won’t be returned to the team until the rally begins on Saturday. The mechanical prep is over: now it’s time to dust off the jetlag, repack the bags and look ahead to rally that will span fifteen days and over 5000 miles.     Since arriving in Lima on the 31st, the team have been based at the official rally headquarters on the Pacific Coast. Looking more like a scene from Mad Max than a traditional motorsport paddock, it’s an extraordinary sight. In the heat and the dust, eccentric beach buggies vie for attention with giant trucks, motorbikes and crazy quads.   Come Saturday and the start of the rally proper, it’s only going to get bigger.   On Bing: more pictures of the Dakar rally On Bing: more pictures of Race2RecoveryAlistair Weaver writes   The world's toughest race: the Dakar Rally in pictures   Sunday, 20th January   After the tension and euphoria of yesterday, the celebratory parade through Santiago de Chile was a chance for the Race2Recovery team todrink in their Dakar success. Chile’s capital put on a great show with thousands of people turning out to cheer on a tired old Wildcat, driven by Matt O’Hare and Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie. After a tour of the city centre, the whole team climbed the Dakar podium for a moment that marked the culmination of two years’ hard work.    “It’s just an incredible feeling,” said O’Hare. “Our goal was to be the first predominantly disabled team to finish the Dakar and we made it. I drove up on to the podium with half the team sat on the car. Some of the guys were waving their prosthetics in the air to celebrate. A crazy day, but one that makes all the hard work worthwhile.”   Gillespie becomes the first amputee ever to complete the Dakar Rally. “When I stood on the start line in Lima, Peru, all this felt so far away. Then when Joy started overheating and we had to pull over every 30km, it felt even further away. But we made it and it’s been great to share this moment with the rest of the team.”     Joining the celebrations were Justin Birchall and Lee Townsend, who were involved in a tragic road traffic accident in the first week of the rally. “I’ve got some broken ribs and I’m feeling beaten up but I wasn’t going to miss this,” said Birchall. “It was a horrific accident and our thoughts are with the families of those who didn’t survive.” John Winskill, the third member of the team injured in the accident, is back in the UK receiving treatment but passed on his congratulations.   The last fifteen days and 5500 miles really has been an incredible journey. Those us of who spent the month of January 2013 with the Race2Recovery team will never forget it.   Saturday, 19th January   At 6.30pm local time, Corporal Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie crossed the finish line in Santiago de Chile to become the first amputee ever to complete the Dakar Rally. Co-driver Gillespie and driver Major Matt O’Hare were cheered across the line by the whole Race2Recovery team as they completed an extraordinary journey.  For the past two weeks and 5500 miles, the duo have guided their troublesome rally car, nicknamed ‘Joy’, through some of the world’s toughest, most desolate terrain.   Over the past fortnight the Race2Recovery team has shed tears of pain and frustration, but today there were only tears of joy for Joy. For two years, this novice team of injured servicemen has battled against the odds to take on the toughest rally in the world. Today, they achieved theirgoal of making it to the end.   “After everything we’ve been through, this is an incredible feeling,” said team manager, army medic Andrew ‘Pav’ Taylor. “There have been many times over the past two years, and even over the past two weeks, when this felt like an impossible dream, but here we are. We have an amazing team andeveryone has played their part in this success. Now we can celebrate.”   Tomorrow, all the vehicles that have completed the rally will enjoy a ceremonial parade through the streets of Santiago de Chile and a visit to the Dakar podium. “I can’t wait,” said O’Hare. “It’s been amazing journey that I’ll never forget. I’m so proud of Barney and the whole team.”   For amputees Captain Tony Harris and Corporal Tom Neathway, who launched the Race2Recovery project while undergoing rehabilitation, it was an emotional moment. Both started the rally but had to retire after mechanical problems. “Tom and I are obviously disappointed not to finish ourselves, but this project has always been about the team, not the individual,” said Harris. “We’re going to enjoy the parade tomorrow then focus on raising money for the Tedworth House Personal Recovery Centre.” Friday, 18th January   We stood on top of the dune for three hours. It was thirty-five degrees Celsius, we could see for over 20km and we could see no-one else. Sun cream was applied, cameras were readied, GPS coordinates were confirmed and then Robby Gordon’s Hummer appeared, powering up the sand with an angry snarl. Man and machine were in charge of nature.   Gordon was followed by the other leading cars in the Dakar Rally; a plethora of garish, million dollar specials built for the sand. Then the front running trucks arrived, looking as incongruous as ever as they monstered their way up the giant sandcastles. Time moved on and the mid-field arrived, zig-zagging their way up the dune as they fought for traction. We waited some more and then, in the distance, there was the faint cry of a familiar V8 engine.   Out of the dust came ‘Joy’, Race2Recovery’s remaining Wildcat. Driver Matt O’Hare traversed the dune, turned right and powered on. We pointed our cameras and co-driver Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie even had time to wave. Joy took a breath, gulped down a litre of fuel, crested the dune and disappeared.   It’s only by witnessing it in close quarters that you get a true sense of the scale of the Dakar. By the time they arrived at the dune, all the crews had travelled over 5000 miles and everyone had endured some sort of drama. This was the second to last stage but there was let up. That’s why they call it the world’s toughest rally.   Today’s stage lasted 441km and there was an additional 294km of road sections before the cars arrived at the Dakar’s final bivouac. Joy exited the special stage at around 11.30pm local time and as she followed the road route to camp, team manager Andrew ‘Pav’ Taylor summed up Race2Recovery’s feelings:   Tomorrow is the Dakar’s last serious stage before a ceremonial finish in Santiago de Chile on Sunday. It spans 346km with the potential for heartbreak at every turn. Tonight, as the team prepare ‘Joy’ for one final mission, they will be hoping that she, Barney and Matt can conquer the Dakar one more time.   Thursday, 17th January   Today the Dakar Rally crossed back over the Andes to Copiapó, Chile. The journey began with a 392km road section, which should have been a relaxing drive through some of the world’s most desolate and dramatic scenery. But the absence of tarmac made the route over the mountains as perilous as a special stage.   The heady cocktail of giant Dakar trucks, dirt tracks and an altitude approaching 5000m, made for moments of genuine jeopardy. One of the team’s Land Rover Discovery support vehicles was clipped by a competitor car and now bears a Dakar wound. It was a relief that the ‘Joy’, the team’s remaining Wildcat rally raid car, made it to the start of the special stageunscathed.   Today’s stage started in Chile and saw the return of the dreaded Dakar dunes. In the soft, sandy conditions, getting stuck is an ever-present danger and for the Race2Recovery team, this was made worse by a technical malfunction. “Joy wasn’t starting properly,” explained driver Matt O’Hare. “This meant we were paranoid about stalling or getting stuck in the sand. It was all about keeping going and conserving momentum.” As I write, the mechanics are preparing to work through the night to fix the problem.   Gillespie’s skills and chirpy demeanour have been a key factor in the team’s success. “It’s another stage ticked off but I’m really trying to focus on taking each day as it comes and not to think too much about getting to the end,” he explained. No sooner was he out of the car than he was being handed the routebook for tomorrow’s stage, which includes a 441km offroad section.   While Joy was out playing in the dunes, the team’s US Marines, Mark Zambon and Tim Read, took time out to visit Robby Gordon, who was the first American to win a stage of the Dakar. Gordon devotes his life to winning the rally (he was second on today’s stage) and lives in a different world of posh transporters and hotel rooms. He was, though, hugely impressed with Race2Recovery’s efforts:     “To do this event with two legs is hard enough,” he said, “but to take it on with only one or even no legs is incredible. This is a badass event and these guys are doing an awesome job.” Tuesday, January 15th   According to the official Dakar guide, today’s stage might have reminded, “the most open-minded of participants of Ireland in some places.” Race2Recovery’s resident Irishman, Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie, wasn’t convinced. “I don’t remember it ever being forty degrees Celsius in Ireland,” he said, “and we’re more into mud than dust.”   Right now, Joy is proving true to Kipling’s old adage about keeping your head while all around them are losing theirs. Both the team’s eight-wheel support trucks through a strop yesterday and will play no further part in the rally. As Joy, O’Hare and Gillespie left for the stage start, the rest of the team was busy re-packing all the team’s equipment.   The Renault Kerax race truck is now looking a lot less racy as a packhorse. Everything that wouldn’t fit into the truck has been loaded into the team’s Land Rover Discovery support vehicles. The team now has a super-slim look, but tonight the mechanics will go to work as normal.   Argentina has been a great friend to the rally. Everywhere we go, we’re mobbed. The team’s mechanics have had to perfect their autographs, even signing body parts on occasion. This afternoon, the cameraman filming a documentary about the team looked somewhat bemused to be handed a baby for a photograph.   Monday, 14th January   As if to punish the drivers for having a rest, the organisers made the ninth stage of the Dakar the longest in this year’s event. This was an 852km epic, from Tucumán to Cordoba that included a 593km special stage. For the Race2Recovery team and their one remaining Wildcat, ‘Joy’, it would present another fearsome test.   Yesterday, the team’s mechanics spent the ‘rest’ day trying to solve the cooling and fuelling problems that have blighted Joy since thebeginning of the rally. Everyone went to bed knowing their handiwork would be tested in the forty degrees heat of Argentina.   Matt O’Hare and co-driver Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie left the bivouac at 8.30am to begin another marathon adventure. Today’s stage would focus on tight, gravel tracks, the sort of terrain used employed by the World Rally Championship when it visits Argentina. The special stage was split into two parts, linked by a section of road.   It was the hottest day of the rally, but the intrepid trio – O’Hare, Gillespie and Joy – emerged from the first stage in buoyant mood. “Joy hasn’t overheated once,” said O’Hare, “we’ve actually been overtaking other cars. It’s a fantastic feeling.” Gillespie, an amputee who lost his right leg serving in Afghanistan, was equally ebullient. “It might just be that we can complete the stage without driving through the night.”   They are also having to get used to superstar status. ‘Joy’ was mobbed when she pulled into a filling station to refuel. It’s doubtful that even Argentinean golden boy Lionel Messi would have received as much attention as the two guys in dirty overalls and a tired old car. After completing the rest of the stage, Joy finally rolled into the bivouac just before 1am. "This was supposed to be the longest stage in the Dakar, but it wasn't for us," said Gillespie. "I'm off to bed." Sunday, 13th January   Today was the Dakar’s only rest day and the drivers and co-drivers had a decent night’s sleep for the first time in a week. For those still left in the rally it was also a chance to reflect on the hard work done and to look ahead to another challenging week. Tomorrow is the longest stage of the rally, an 852km epic to Córdoba that includes a 593km special stage. Intemperatures that are likely to hit 45 degrees Celsius, it will be another extraordinary test of endurance.   For the mechanics, today was anything but a rest day. The team’s mechanics have been working all day to fix the problems that have blighted the team’s remaining Wildcat, ‘Joy’, since the first stage. “We’ve had a huge list of things to do,” says mechanic Sean Whatley. “On the Dakar you’ve got limited resources so you need some lateral thinking. We’ve done everything we can to improve the cooling for the fuel system, even scavenging parts from our retired cars to improve the efficiency of the radiators. Joy has new oil and new tyres and she’s ready to go. The next few days are going to be tough for all of us, but we’re ready for the challenge.”   Saturday, 12th January   Today was supposed to be another monster for the Race2Recovery team, but then the rain came and washed away the jeopardy. The special stage was cut short by flash floods and the team retired to the bivouac in Tucumán, Argentina, in spirits as high as the altitude.   Tomorrow is the Dakar’s only rest day. It’s an opportunity for the drivers and co-drivers to catch up on sleep, but the mechanics will be hard at work prepping the car for the week ahead. “Calling it a ‘rest’ day is a bit of a misnomer,” reckons Team Manager Andrew 'Pav' Taylor. “For the mechanics, it’s probably the busiest day of the rally.”   Taylor is an impressive guy. An army medic who was injured in an attack by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, he has led Race2Recovery through an extraordinary week. “Introduction’s to the Dakar come no tougher than this,” he admits. “It’s been hard, but we’ve kept going.   Friday, 11th January   Today, the Dakar got high. After six days of dune bashing, the exhausted crews were asked to travel 751km across the Andes in Argentina. Altitude is a strange companion. You can be the fittest person in the world and still get whacked by an irrational sickness at the mountain top. According to the satnav system in my Land Rover Discovery support vehicle, we reached a peak altitude today of 4853m, or just under 16,000 feet in old money. At this height, you really can sense and even taste the thinness of the air.   For hundreds of miles, we drifted through a vast, craggy wilderness, crossing from Chile to Argentina and ultimately descending to abivouac near the characterful town of Salta. For the support crews, it was a day to crack out the cameras, but the competitors had little respite.   Having travelled through the night, Matt O’Hare and Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie only just made it to the start of today’s stage. “To be honest, I don’t know how we’re keeping going,” said Gillespie, “but on we go.” Their resilience and determination has been incredible to behold.   Their troublesome Wildcat, ‘Joy’, suffered fuelling problems en route but they made it to the bivouac in Salta at 2am. The mechanics immediately went to work to fix the problem and the intrepid duo will this morning start stage 8 to Tucuman.   Thursday, January 10th   “We’d just crested a dune and we heard this truck coming towards us,” says Gott. “He was hooting his horn but he kept coming and smacked into the back of us.” The left rear corner of the Race2Recovery Wildcat was left bearing a sizeable war wound, but there was no serious damage. “It could have been much worse,” admitted Gott. “In a single smack, your Dakar dream can be over.”   Sadly for Gott and Zambon, his words spoken at the midway point of the 6th stage proved prescient. On the following section of special stage, Gott hit a ditch and rolled the Wildcat. A Dutch support truck helped them to escape the car and neither have suffered serious injuries. “We were travelling about 60mph,” explained Zambon. “It was a big accident but we’re OK, and there was a funny moment. When the Dutch guys pulled me out, one of my legs fell off and the guy panicked. I had to tell him they are prosthetic.”     The retirement of a third Wildcat is a disappointing blow for the team. “Ben has been with the team a long time,” said Captain Tony Harris. “His Dakar experience, driving prowess and undoubted skills as a mechanic have been invaluable. Mark Zambon is one of two US Marine’s on the team. He’s an inspirational character with a great sense of humour, who really understand the spirit and ambition of Race2Recovery.   The fourth Wildcat, ‘Joy’, driven by Major Matt O’Hare, got stuck in the dunes and only managed to make it back to the bivouac this morning. They immediately turned around and headed back out on to the next stage. “Our car, ‘Joy’ overheats in the sun, so we’re having to do the Dakar in the dark,” said co-driver Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie. It’s frustrating, but we won’t give up.”   The incident also underlined just how much of a team game the Dakar Rally is. Race2Recovery comprises twenty-eight people. The mechanics have a nocturnal schedule, working through the night to prepare the cars for the next stage. Then by day they sleep in the team’s support trucks and Land Rover Discovery’s, which are driven from bivouac to bivouac. It’s a strange, nomadic and hugely demanding existence.   Today the whole team must cross the Andes to the Argentinean town of Salta, reaching a height of almost 3900m. For the Wildcat, this will be a 751km day, including a 218km special stage. For everyone, the rest day on January 13th still feels a long way away. Thursday 10th January   Late last night some distressing news reached camp about a road traffic accident involving one of the team’s support vehicles. Justin Birchall, who retired from the rally during stage 4, Lee Townsend, a team mechanic, and the team’s logistics expert, John Winskill, were involved and have been badly injured. They’ve been transferred to a hospital in Lima. Two other vehicles were also involved in the accident and two people received fatal injuries.   In the bivouac, there was an obvious sense of shock. Race2Recovery is a close-knit team who have been through a lot together. Team Principal Quinn Evans gave everyone the news and the team agreed that they’d continue in the rally. Everyone went about their business in a professionalmanner and this morning, Race2Recovery’s two remaining Wildcat’s left the bivouac to begin the 6th stage across the Atacama Desert.    Captain Tony Harris, one of the founders of the Race2Recovery team said, “Our hearts go out to the families and relatives of those who have died in this tragic accident and we offer them our condolences and sympathy. Our entire team has been struck by the friendliness and support we have received from the Peruvian people since arriving for the Dakar Rally.”   I’ll keep everyone updated when we know more. Tuesday, 8th January   For seven hours the film crew following the Race2Recovery team watched cars descend a mighty dune, cross a wadi (dry river bed) and then scramble up the other side. Some powered on through, some got stuck and had to dig themselves out, and others bore the scars of battle. Rally favourite Robby Gordon arrived with the front of his Hummer missing.   It was entertaining stuff, but as the sun set there was still no sign of the team's Wildcats. Darkness fell and just as the cameras were being packed away, the telltale cry of a Land Rover V8 was heard across the valley. Two headlights and then four were spotted tracking down the dune and across the wadi. Minutes later the two cars roared into view.   As I write it's gone midnight and both Wildcats are still battling their way to the bivouac. For the injured servicemen inside, it's a huge mental and physical challenge. "The last couple of days have been incredibly tough," admitted Team Manager Andrew 'Pav' Taylor. "But this is the Dakar. We've come here for the ultimate automotive challenge, so none of this is a surprise,"   While Birchall and O'Hare were making decent progress, the Wildcat of Ben Gott and US Marine Mark Zambon was having a tougher time. Mechanical problems had left them lagging behind their teammates. "They've had some troubles but Ben's an exceptional mechanic and has fixed the problems as they've occurred," said Taylor. "Ben's got the Dakar logo tattooed on his arm and both he and Mark epitomise the sprit of this event."   As the carsmotored on, there was some cheer for the team with news that the support truck has been repaired in the desert and is also en route to the bivouac. It's been quite a day and there'll be no respite tomorrow as the Dakar leaves Peru and heads south into Chile. Tuesday, 8th January   This morning, the team woke to the sad news that the Wildcat of Tony Harris and Cathy Derousseaux has been excluded from the Dakar Rally. Having returned to the bivouac after midnight at the end of stage 2, the team were allowed to start yesterday’s stage pending an analysis of the previous day’s results. A committee of the race organisers met yesterday and based on the evidence before them determined that Harris and Derousseau had not reached sufficient way points to be allowed to continue in the rally. This decision was posted overnight, Peruvian time.   “In the back of our minds, we thought this might be a possibility,” admitted Harris, “but we powered through yesterday’s stage without difficulty and we’re looking forwards to another successful day today. After two years of hard work, it’s heartbreaking for Cathy and I, but the Race2Recovery project has always been about the team and we must remember that we still have three Wildcats competing strongly in the rally. Cathy and I will now do everything we can to support them as they strive to reach the finish.”   Saturday, January 5th 2013 Dakar veterans will tell you that the Rally can bite at anytime and on the very first day, it bit the Race2Recovery team. Just before start of the first special stage, the Wildcat driven by amputee Tony Harris developed a problem with its front differential. The support team sprang into action, removing a propshaft that allowed the car to continue in two-wheel drive.   Today’s stage, just 13km long, was designed a prologue, an hors d’oeuvre for the challenges to come. But in the Peruvian desert, there’s no such thing as easy ride. Four kilometres into the stage, Harris telephoned the team to report a problem with the rear of the car. For now he was stranded in the desert, reliant upon the assistance of the team’s race truck, due to enter the stage in a couple of hours.   The Renault Kerax truck’s role in life is to support the quartet of Wildcats. It carries an array of spares to fix the cars on the fly, and can even be employed to tow them to the end of the stage. In the dunes, the truck’s crew of Mark Cullum, Charles Simcock and Chris Ratter replaced the Wildcat’s rear differential, allowing the car to continue. With the help of a team from Renault trucks, together they worked their way back to the bivouac, finallyarriving at 11pm.     The three remaining Wildcats successfully completed the stage and are looking forwards to tomorrow’s challenge, a 327km loop that includes a 242km special stage. It promises to be another epic day. Friday, January 4th 2013   Today’s been true to the old cliché about the calm before the storm. With the cars in parc ferme, the team have had a day to wash some clothes, take a deep breath and prepare for the extraordinary challenge that is the Dakar. Tonight will be their last in a proper bed until the cars reach Santiago de Chile on January 20th, by which time they’ll have raced over 5000 miles.      Off-road expert Mark Cullum has led the team’s training over the past few months. “The first special stage is only 13km long so it’s a chance to bed in,” he explains. “Everyone will be excited but we’ve drilled into the drivers that they must be restrained, sympathetic and alert. The smoother you are, the more efficient you are. That’s how we’ll get to the finish.” Cullum will drive the team’s race truck. He’ll compete in the rally, but his main focus is to support the rally cars, should they hit trouble.    Tomorrow the rally leaves Lima and tracks 263km south along the Peruvian coast before the start of the stage. The first bivouac of the rally will then be erected in the town of Pisco. By the time the team clamber into their sleeping bags late tomorrow night, they’ll at last have a proper understanding of what it means to take part in the toughest rally of them all.  Thursday, January 3rd 2013   For the Race2Recovery team, today marked the end of the beginning. After almost two years of hard work, four Wildcat rally raid cars past scrutineering, climbed a ceremonial ramp, took the applause of the Peruvian crowd and officially began the world’s toughest rally.     The car’s have now entered the parc ferme compound and won’t be returned to the team until the rally begins on Saturday. The mechanical prep is over: now it’s time to dust off the jetlag, repack the bags and look ahead to rally that will span fifteen days and over 5000 miles.     Since arriving in Lima on the 31st, the team have been based at the official rally headquarters on the Pacific Coast. Looking more like a scene from Mad Max than a traditional motorsport paddock, it’s an extraordinary sight. In the heat and the dust, eccentric beach buggies vie for attention with giant trucks, motorbikes and crazy quads.   Come Saturday and the start of the rally proper, it’s only going to get bigger.   On Bing: more pictures of the Dakar rally On Bing: more pictures of Race2RecoveryBlogArticlehttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=437bc8ba-2b31-4c3b-9274-19cd25db85bbMuddy, cold and wet – Sean gets behind the wheel of the new Amarok in a series of competitive challenges, but how will the new car fare?Thu, 18 Apr 2013 06:41:33 -0700Sean Carson4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a9437bc8ba-2b31-4c3b-9274-19cd25db85bbBlogArticle9998EE0BEA3288FF112012-12-20T10:02:46.88Muddy, cold and wet – Sean gets behind the wheel of the new Amarok in a series of competitive challenges, but how will the new car fare?When the invite to the VW Amarok Challenge dropped into my inbox and the itinerary said – and I quote – “we suggest a change of footwear, a towel and a spare set of clothes to change into at the end of the day”, I could only leap at the chance to get stuck in.   The Amarok actually falls under the remit of VW Commercial Vehicles – it’s a workhorse. So what better way to test its robust off-road credentials and field crossing, fording and climbing capabilities than with a series of muddy challenges on the run-up to Christmas?   The format: two teams of three, each with their own Amarok and an instructor to give us a few pointers on lines and speed through the disused quarry at the Seren Country Activity Centre. Let’s get muddy…   First up were a few simple techniques – gentle inclines and side slopes, rock crawling and some descent work.   In the six-speed manual Amarok I was first in, it was just a case of put the gearbox into low range, lock the diffs and turn the traction control off. First is VERY short in low range – all the car did was run along at idle. No throttle needed.   It’s a torquey engine, the new 180hp twin-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit in the Amarok, meaning even one in two gradients can be scaled without even a whiff of throttle, providing the surface under rubber is right. All that was required then was some steering input. Driving off-road is a completely different discipline to on the black top – even when you’re on a racetrack, the surface is broadly similar and grip levels constant. Not so off-road.   It’s a good job we had an instructor to give us some handy hints as to what we were doing wrong.   But, back to the steering – it’s counter-intuitive off-road. Traversing a big left-hand berm so steep that I was hanging by my seatbelt, our instructor ‘Norm’ told me to steer right, up the bank, despite the corner’s trajectory heading left. The tyres slipping on the gradient means a touch of right-hand down actually helps to keep you in position, the camber of the corner hooking you round. It’s an odd sensation to first practice, but once you’ve experienced it, it feels entirely natural.   Next up was our final challenge of the morning – a 45-degree incline. Both the manual and automatic equipped Amaroks leapt up the incline like a mountain goat on Red Bull.   The only problem our team encountered was on our final run. Such is the level of purchase even a standard road tyre has on the gravelly gradient, numerous runs up and down the slope caused grip levels to drop off. My team mate got stuck, but it gave us a valuable lesson in how to properly abort a run: Norm instructed us to hold the big vee-dub on the foot brake, turn the engine off and select reverse.   “Once you’ve done this you can take your foot off the brake and let the locked gearbox hold the car,” we were told. Next though, you have to fire the car up in-gear covering the brake – this way you make sure the tyres bite as the engine catches, freeing the car from the holes it dug on the slope.   What (eventually) goes up must come down. And just as the ridiculous gradient didn’t produce any problems for the Amarok on the ascent (well, most of the time…) neither did it prove an obstruction on the descent. With Hill Descent Control and the gearbox in its low range setting it’s simply a case of letting the clutch out and covering the brake for the way down.   While you’re hanging by your belt the car’s host of gyroscopes and sensors are monitoring pitch, yaw, lean and speed and applying the brakes to adjust the vehicle’s attitude and velocity accordingly. You really don’t have to do anything except guide it down the narrow track – if you were using it as a working vehicle, the ease at which it devours off-road terrain would make it a worthwhile asset.   The VW Amarok proved itself off-road in some pretty tough preliminary tests, but how will it fare on it, as well as in the final challenges? Check back tomorrow to find out.Looks good, sounds good. but does it compare to a Land Rover?BlogArticleOn launchEventshttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=91098133-0b71-4713-8705-04d1539291d1Sean swaps mud for water and gravel for Tarmac as he gets to grips with the Amarok’s on-road ability and its real-world performance in the final part of his challengeFri, 21 Dec 2012 03:47:10 -0800Sean Carson4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a991098133-0b71-4713-8705-04d1539291d1BlogArticle9998EE0BEA3288FF012012-12-21T11:56:17.71Sean swaps mud for water and gravel for Tarmac as he gets to grips with the Amarok’s on-road ability and its real-world performance in the final part of his challengeThe Amarok might be a commercial vehicle, but it won’t spend all of its time off-road. That means the vehicle has to go well on it, too.   Fortunately, the second part of the VW Amarok Challenge set out to prove just that…   Volkswagen Amarok Challenge (part one): we take on the toughest Welsh terrain Navigation, navigation, navigation   After our off-road preparation and a hearty Welsh pub lunch, it was onto the navigation challenge.   We were required to seek out a number of items that we were told we’d later need to build a raft. Rafts mean water. It’s Wales in November. That means close to zero degrees. Brrrrr.   It was time to assess the Amarok on-road first, however. It’s actually remarkably refined. The cabin doesn’t boast the same levels of refinement of other models in the VW range – with a bit of diesel grumble percolating into the interior – but then this is a commercial vehicle, so what do you expect? The payoff is the motor is punchy, with 0-62mph taking 11 seconds. Given permanent four-wheel drive is on offer economy of 35.3mpg combined with 211g/km CO2 for both the manual and automatic versions is respectable, too.   Despite its mass and leaf-sprung rear suspension (it’s a compromise that gives excellent wheel travel and suspension articulation off-road, so you can accept it), chassis control is good. It rides well without all that much roll.   Given how surprised I was by the Amarok’s off-road performance in the morning, that it’s relatively civilised (I could easily cover plenty of miles in one) is a welcome asset too. Finally, after dashing around the North Wales countryside we successfully secured our items – albeit behind our rivals. That meant we gained another 30-second time penalty to go with the same delay we accrued for finishing second in the driving challenges. The pressure was on for the raft building…   Raft race   With our Amarok’s load bay filled with raft building materials we constructed our aquatic craft in double quick time, clawing back 30 seconds on our competitors. Now it was just down to two of us to sail it.   Unfortunately for the assembled spectators they didn’t get to see any of us capsize, such was the integrity of our, ahem, expertly constructed raft. My paddling partner and I certainly came close a number of times though… Once at the other side of the lake we had to get team, raft and Amarok across the line – not a problem for the rugged Volkswagen. Thanks to its tow bar we latched the raft to its hitch and just pulled it on up out of the water.   Thanks to some sterling work with the paddles we made back our 30-second deficit across the lake and with some ingenious positioning strategy we managed to cross the line as victors.   Without sounding all marketing and PR speak though, the real winner was the car. Sensationally solid, sensationally capable   The above sub-heading sums the Amarok up. Everything you throw at it – even on standard road tyres – it’ll take with little more than a shrug of its chunky metal shoulders.   It’s comfortable on-road, comes with plenty of gadgets for the comfort and convenience-loving workman and excels when it puts a wheel onto anything less than solid.   That you can shove an almighty amount of clobber in the back is an excellent facet for any commercial vehicle, but far from being an uncouth contraption, the attractive Amarok is sophisticated enough for long distances not to be a chore.   The ability with which it can make progress off-road is the most jaw-dropping factor, however. Fully locking differentials at the front, middle and rear mean grip is fantastic – it takes a lot to stop this thing in its tracks, but even then it’ll use the sophisticated electronic trickery and robust mechanicals to haul you out of a sticky situation.The Amarok might be a commercial vehicle, but it won’t spend all of its time off-road. That means the vehicle has to go well on it, too.   Fortunately, the second part of the VW Amarok Challenge set out to prove just that…   Volkswagen Amarok Challenge (part one): we take on the toughest Welsh terrain Navigation, navigation, navigation   After our off-road preparation and a hearty Welsh pub lunch, it was onto the navigation challenge.   We were required to seek out a number of items that we were told we’d later need to build a raft. Rafts mean water. It’s Wales in November. That means close to zero degrees. Brrrrr.   It was time to assess the Amarok on-road first, however. It’s actually remarkably refined. The cabin doesn’t boast the same levels of refinement of other models in the VW range – with a bit of diesel grumble percolating into the interior – but then this is a commercial vehicle, so what do you expect? The payoff is the motor is punchy, with 0-62mph taking 11 seconds. Given permanent four-wheel drive is on offer economy of 35.3mpg combined with 211g/km CO2 for both the manual and automatic versions is respectable, too.   Despite its mass and leaf-sprung rear suspension (it’s a compromise that gives excellent wheel travel and suspension articulation off-road, so you can accept it), chassis control is good. It rides well without all that much roll.   Given how surprised I was by the Amarok’s off-road performance in the morning, that it’s relatively civilised (I could easily cover plenty of miles in one) is a welcome asset too. Finally, after dashing around the North Wales countryside we successfully secured our items – albeit behind our rivals. That meant we gained another 30-second time penalty to go with the same delay we accrued for finishing second in the driving challenges. The pressure was on for the raft building…   Raft race   With our Amarok’s load bay filled with raft building materials we constructed our aquatic craft in double quick time, clawing back 30 seconds on our competitors. Now it was just down to two of us to sail it.   Unfortunately for the assembled spectators they didn’t get to see any of us capsize, such was the integrity of our, ahem, expertly constructed raft. My paddling partner and I certainly came close a number of times though… Once at the other side of the lake we had to get team, raft and Amarok across the line – not a problem for the rugged Volkswagen. Thanks to its tow bar we latched the raft to its hitch and just pulled it on up out of the water.   Thanks to some sterling work with the paddles we made back our 30-second deficit across the lake and with some ingenious positioning strategy we managed to cross the line as victors.   Without sounding all marketing and PR speak though, the real winner was the car. Sensationally solid, sensationally capable   The above sub-heading sums the Amarok up. Everything you throw at it – even on standard road tyres – it’ll take with little more than a shrug of its chunky metal shoulders.   It’s comfortable on-road, comes with plenty of gadgets for the comfort and convenience-loving workman and excels when it puts a wheel onto anything less than solid.   That you can shove an almighty amount of clobber in the back is an excellent facet for any commercial vehicle, but far from being an uncouth contraption, the attractive Amarok is sophisticated enough for long distances not to be a chore.   The ability with which it can make progress off-road is the most jaw-dropping factor, however. Fully locking differentials at the front, middle and rear mean grip is fantastic – it takes a lot to stop this thing in its tracks, but even then it’ll use the sophisticated electronic trickery and robust mechanicals to haul you out of a sticky situation.BlogArticlehttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=cbd3dc27-c596-4387-aa4b-54a142a1072aYou'll have already seen our new recruit Sean Carson writing on MSN Cars, now meet his car...Sun, 05 May 2013 18:56:28 -0700cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a9cbd3dc27-c596-4387-aa4b-54a142a1072aBlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7342012-02-01T11:47:50.777You'll have already seen our new recruit Sean Carson writing on MSN Cars, now meet his car...Kit cars get a bad rep, mostly because they’re perceived to be fiddly, high-maintenance, cobbled together bits of something else combined to make one car – and this is mine.   But the above isn’t always true, and certainly not in the case of this piece of kit. It’s made by South Yorkshire-based Seven-alike specialists MK Sportscars and is called the Indy R. And actually, it’s quite sophisticated. This particular Indy R utilises Suzuki GSX R 1000 superbike power – that’s 162bhp and 82lb ft of torque at the rear wheels from 1,000ccs.   Now those numbers aren’t particularly stellar by normal performance car standards granted, but when you drop a lightweight engine with those credentials into a chassis that weighs around 450kg, things start to look a little more appealing – we’re talking 360hp per tonne at the rear wheels. Nearly one fifth lighter than a Caterham R500 with around three fifths of the power, the Indy R might not quite have the grunt to challenge the top rung of the Caterham ladder but it will certainly match its smaller brother, the R400, blow-for-blow.   Being bike engined, max power is produced at a heady 10,600rpm – it’ll rev on to 12,800rpm before the limiter kicks in – but there’s plenty of power and linear torque available in the mid-range too, for those occasions when your head isn’t set to fully attack your favourite B-road.   The Indy R features double wishbone suspension all round with in board dampers and pushrods at the front – camber, castor, toe, ride height, and the suspension’s compression and rebound damping can all be adjusted to find the perfect setup for on track or on road driving, too. Chassis wise, the Indy R is a match for any lightweight trackday special: its low kerb weight, decent power-to-weight ratio and sophisticated setup give it great agility and a feeling that the car wants to attack every bend with an inherent streak of vim and vigour. While the MK might not have the same level of finish as a Caterham, or the image and integrity the badge brings, it is a well-engineered package that you’ll certainly get value for money from. If you’re practically minded and handy with a spanner, you could put one together yourself for easily under £10,000, and for those anti-bike-engined folk out there, a range of car engines can be fitted too.   At the minute, the Indy R is tucked up in its winter hibernation location, but once it breaks cover for the start of the track day season, I’ll keep you posted on any updates and modifications I make and how the old girl gets on out on the black top.   Oh, and sorry it’s so dirty…Which wing mirrors are those?BlogArticleOn the roadLong termershttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=7cac066c-6dc1-4ebf-aaad-c6709f138359Following the launch of the facelifted Ford Fiesta, Sean has some musings on one of the car’s new gadgetsThu, 20 Dec 2012 01:08:42 -0800Sean Carson4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a97cac066c-6dc1-4ebf-aaad-c6709f138359BlogArticle9998EE0BEA3288FF122012-11-21T18:15:15.623Following the launch of the facelifted Ford Fiesta, Sean has some musings on one of the car’s new gadgetsFord is debuting its MyKey system on the updated Fiesta range – a feature that allows certain parameters of the vehicle to be governed by the chosen one. OK, the person with the master key.   It’s aimed at parents (concerned or controlling, you decide) who want to ‘fix’ certain aspects of the car, such as the stereo’s maximum volume and the car’s top speed, as well as the option to disable stability systems. The problem is, I just can't see it working how they want it to.  Ford’s market research says 46% of parents with kids aged between 17 and 20 cited speeding as their number one concern when their offspring are behind the wheel. Most accidents happen in built-up areas at anywhere between 30 and 50mph, so why did Ford choose to set the only imposable limit at 80mph in the UK?  One, it’s illegal and two, hit someone at 30mph and there’s an 80% chance they’ll live, hit them at 40mph and there’s an 80% chance they’ll die. Shouldn't it be these sorts of limits that can be set?   More fine-tuning of the speed restrictions would more than likely result in even fewer accidents among young drivers – maybe even GPS-based governance of speed given the car knows exactly where it is when fitted with the Safety Assist system?   To set the system up a master key fob is used, with the subordinate key fob unable to change any restrictions. That means if your offspring picks up the wrong key – presuming you haven’t childishly hidden it from them – in theory they can alter the vehicle setup. But if you do hide the master, what’s to stop them seeking it out and using it to surreptitiously modify the vehicle’s mode?   Even if it were a well-judged safety facet, surely a pin code or some form of password protection would have been a better idea? Especially given the MyKey system could potentially offer insurance breaks to users going through Ford's own insurance arm in the future, similar to the discounts its Active City Stop autonomous braking system already gives.   What would happen to your policy if your child crashes – even if it’s not of their own doing – having altered the MyKey limits?  The concept of the system is good, with the goal of driving down young driver accident statistics at its core. But it seems the execution on UK-spec cars at least might need a re-think.how far would it go? www.wewillbuyyourcar.comBlogArticlehttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=9080f00b-c2c2-44d6-9f74-0877e13da887Let’s off-road! Lego’s latest Technic creation is a four-wheel drive, four-wheel steer monster truck.Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:55:59 -0700cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a99080f00b-c2c2-44d6-9f74-0877e13da887BlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7232012-11-30T16:59:25.35Let’s off-road! Lego’s latest Technic creation is a four-wheel drive, four-wheel steer monster truck.It’s that time of year again. The point at which Lego sends an email asking if we’d like to road test its latest wheeled wonder, and we – or rather I – scorch the keyboard sending back an overly enthusiastic yes. Meet the key Technic model for Christmas 2012: the Lego Technic 4x4 Crawler (9398). The 4x4 Crawler isn’t as large or as technically – no pun intended – complex as t he Unimog from last year, but then at around £140 it’s also cheaper in price. What it does have, however, is full remote control right out of the box, complete with four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. I say right out of the box. You obviously have to build it first. I’m in the middle of moving house so this has been a rather spread out process for me, making exact timing tricky. But I reckon you could probably get this set done in a day if you’ve got the attention span. Failing that, a solid two or three evenings ought to take care of it, assuming the rest of your family is sympathetic, if not cooperative. That said, I am exactly twice the maximum 11-16 age recommendation for this. Which is possibly cheating. Anyhoo. As is traditional with big Lego kits, you get multiple instruction booklets and bags of bits labelled with different numbers to make finding the right part a little less daunting. The box itself is roomy enough to act as a containment field, if your preferred build area happens to be multifunctional (say, for example, the dining table). Since I don’t have the luxury of indulging myself in this kind of behaviour on a regular basis, opening said box revealed a number of pieces I had never personally seen before. Mostly this consisted of the remote control gizmos, which have moved on just a bit since the wired days of my youth. Cool, though. It makes this like a 1/10th scale Tamiya – sort of – only built in Lego’s beautiful way from many, many generic, repurposable bits. There was another surprise in there, however: revisions to the instruction pack. I have never ever come across this with Lego before. As it turns out, they aren’t actual changes, but more like positive clarification – different views of the same actions. Due to the nature of the Crawler’s 4x4 drivetrain, it’s crucial to make sure the steering mechanism is straight. To this end, I also found it entertaining (I do need to get out more) that some of the assembly is done using a kind of jig for exactly this reason – and the jig itself is built from parts that are then removed and reused elsewhere on the model. Similarly, I loved how the instructions tell you to use one of the tyres as a stand; there’s something strangely authentic about that. As ever, the instructions are their very own miniature works of art, and the way the structure builds from relatively flimsy individual elements that are quickly and cleverly reinforced remains the stuff of absolute genius. I am in utter awe of the people who design these creations – how on earth do they do it? I would love to know. Like the Unimog, the Crawler uses a realistic modular frame chassis, echoing the full-size monster off-road trucks it’s paying homage to. Both front and rear sub-frame sections are identical, complete with matching differentials, suspension, steering gear and motors, while the central structure houses the drive motor and the battery pack. As the frame suggests, the chassis is a self-contained element, really – so you can drive it around without bodywork, about three-quarters of the way into the build. This also offers most excellent potential for alternative bodywork projects, and in fact Lego offers its own, a kind of Dakar racing truck you can get the instructions for online. The only element of construction I’m not overly impressed with is the slightly unsupported position of what I think is the remote receiver. But this probably can’t be helped. Especially given the deft way Lego has enabled the bodywork to hinge from the back, allowing you access to the internals (the front catches are hidden neatly behind the doors; so much so it took me a while to locate them, even though I only finished building this last night). As a result, changing the batteries is relatively straightforward. The miniature engineering here is very satisfying. And the potential for further mods definitely appeals. You can see I’ve decided against most of the sticker graphics – partly on this basis, and partly because I tend to feel Lego doesn’t need to be adorned in that fashion. Removing the nudge bar and the spotlight frame is an easy start. Given the name – Crawler – I do hope you weren’t expecting it to be a speed demon. Fast it most certainly is not, and it’s probably important to realise that. However, the way the motors have been geared means it has plenty of torque, giving it the ability to climb over a surprisingly extreme range of obstacles. To the point where I find myself daydreaming about what it could do with the kind of locking diffs real hardcore off-roaders employ. You’d end up with something able to tackle moderate vertical surfaces (a mini version of this?). As it is, the suspension articulation is truly impressive. Your soft furnishings will present very little difficulty. Regardless, parents should look on the lack of speed as a definite positive – the offspring won’t be causing much ramming damage to ankles with this beauty. Well, you all know I’m already a fan. But this is a wonderful object, both in build and when complete. A quiet but fulfilling Christmas morning beckons for anyone tasked with making it. Available from all the usual retailers, or Lego directly here. Batteries not included (I've always wanted to say that). Review: Lego Unimog U400 (8110) Mercedes-Benz Unimog: little and large Review: Lego Millenium Falcon (7965) Lego Technic Supercar v Porsche 911 GTS Lego creates VW Camper modelI still some times buy and build lego models as i too love lego in all its forms but really love the technic ones as it does appeal to my mechanical brain and intrests I am a bit of a petrol head and just love cars wether they are real or a scale modelBlogArticleReviewshttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=b654587c-66f0-41d0-af87-e4433d87414e*caution - may cause sickness...Thu, 20 Dec 2012 01:05:22 -0800the_roadtester4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a9b654587c-66f0-41d0-af87-e4433d87414eBlogArticle697CD543E66C8C9A122012-11-26T14:09:45.707*caution - may cause sickness...Pete Clifton, Executive Producer, MSN UK, writes... This was an odd feeling. Sitting in the early Monday morning traffic jam into London, and quietly hoping it would get worse. Why be in a hurry for the office when you’re the king of the road in a Touareg V6 TDI?   The last time a weekend road test came my way it was a Range Rover Evoque – and if that was the head-turning show pony, the VW felt like the classy thoroughbred. Comfort, space, clever gadgets, super smooth ride, and jaw-dropping power.   My family already has one foot in the VW camp with a trusty old Sharan. Used variously as the local runabout, family holiday van, shed, skip and bike carrier, it has been unshakably solid and reliable through thick and thin.   The Touareg feels just as solid and well built, and this top of the range, V6 weekend will make the return to more basic vehicles particularly painful. And not just because of the adrenalin rush from the foot to the floor, headrest banging acceleration. This certainly did it for me, though maybe not my passengers. One of my son’s friends had to get out and be sick after a rapid and surprisingly acceptable ride to Basingstoke.   Lots of things, as well as the power, compared favourably with my Evoque encounter. Bags of space in the boot for golf clubs, shopping and cases, a decent rear window (not the postbox slit) and seats for five – even if one person gets the short straw for the smaller middle seat in the back.   And the controls and gadgets were impressive and simple to use. The parking camera somehow produced a remarkable aerial view of the car and its surrounds, the sat-nav was slick and informative, and the DAB radio provided crystal clear audio to increase the pleasurable assault on the senses.  I know lots of high end cars may have similar features, but I’m easily impressed. I was a sucker for the windscreen wipers that only work when there’s rain to shift and the updating traffic reports on the 'infotainment' screen, while the amber lights on your wing mirrors that come on when a car is about to pass you struck me as being a really great safety feature.   Disappointingly, the traffic jam eased and I got to the office. It had been a great weekend for the driver, and the verdict from the kids definitely put it ahead of the Evoque. But my wife thought the passenger seat was hard and uncomfortable – and as she also controls the finances, that will be the bottom line, so to speak.     Read a Volkswagen review Buy a used VW Touareg on Auto Trader On Bing: more pics of the VW TouaregWhat great car [url=http://www.wewillbuyyourcar.com/]cash for cars[/url]BlogArticlehttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=cc9a8d7a-ba25-45e1-8ec9-e1b345759270We take to the track with a fridge in the back. This is Sportbrake style.Thu, 20 Dec 2012 01:11:45 -0800cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a9cc9a8d7a-ba25-45e1-8ec9-e1b345759270BlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7122012-11-01T09:49:33.71We take to the track with a fridge in the back. This is Sportbrake style.This is a Smeg designer fridge. It apparently weighs about 50kg, and although not exactly the largest food quality maintenance device known to man, it’s big enough to make you wonder if it would even fit in the back of a Jaguar XF Sportbrake. Let alone ponder what it would be like to then drive round a racing circuit with said domestic appliance comfortably ensconced inside. Wait. What? The Sportbrake is Jaguar’s new estate car / lifestyle indicator. We already know that it looks good – in fact, according to the company’s own literature it carries even greater presence than the XF saloon. Having spent the last two days with it, I’m inclined to agree. What wasn’t so clear is whether it would a) be practical or b) live up to the ‘Sport’ part of its title, which is a deliberate reminder that Jaguar builds sports cars. Clarity comes in funny shapes and sizes these days. Cue East Fortune race track, which is not especially enormous and primarily used for motorbike racing – but substantial enough for this little demonstration. Back-to-back laps in a 275hp 3.0-litre turbodiesel S with and without a strapped down Smeg on board. I have the – apparently – irresistible urge to type “chocks away!” at this point… In order to help it cope with this kind of thing – which is to say, owners throwing unfeasible amounts of heavy stuff in the boot then setting off like their hair is on fire – Jaguar has blessed the Sportbrake with standard air suspension at the rear. This automatically self levels, maintaining the correct ride height and therefore suspension geometry – critical for the company’s aim of making the estate handle every bit as precisely as the saloon, no matter what the circumstances. Combined with the continuously adaptive damping system (standard on the 275hp S, optional elsewhere), a strong structure and enough computing power to make a 1960s astronaut weep, the Sportbrake’s chassis is if not quite unique amongst its peers then certainly extremely sophisticated. And you don’t have to chat to any of the engineers involved for very long to figure out how much effort they’ve dedicated to making it not just work but do so with beautiful cohesion. Laps ensue, including a cruise control mandated 55mph lane-changing manoeuvre, as well as some general sliding about thanks to the inevitably greasiness of autumn in Scotland. The Jaguar is sublime. To say you can’t tell the car’s packing some serious white goods would be nonsense. But this is really only in the sense that it feels a little slower and slightly tougher on the brakes compared to the unladen car – and in neither case is this especially troublesome given 50kg is about the weight of small teenager. However, you don’t generally have a small teenager lying quite so far back, nor so upright. So for the Sportbrake to shrug off dynamic direction changes with such little fuss really is testament to the quality of the engineering. Now, who do I see about setting up a high speed delivery service for Euronics? New Jaguar XF Sportbrake estate Jaguar XF Sportbrake in British jobs boost Jaguar Concept Speedboat shown with new XF Sportbrakewww.wewillbuyyourcar.com this could be fun!BlogArticleOn the roadOn launchPR humourMotorsporthttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=82518205-b47c-4464-8e75-05ddc80b64e3An idle conversation over dinner on a car launch got me thinking, what kit do you really need on your vehicle?Thu, 20 Dec 2012 01:09:48 -0800Sean Carson4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a982518205-b47c-4464-8e75-05ddc80b64e3BlogArticle9998EE0BEA3288FF122012-11-01T11:26:58.143An idle conversation over dinner on a car launch got me thinking, what kit do you really need on your vehicle?The car launch in question was the new Audi R8 V10 plus, so everything inside the cabin felt appropriate, just so, like you will one day need to press that button on the dash, even if you don’t have a clue what it does.   But pare it back to anything from family hatchbacks and saloons to superminis and city cars – what the majority of us drive day-in day-out – and what constitutes a must-have option is completely different.   I like creature comforts as much as the next person – owning and driving a car with no windscreen or doors has taught me the value of a heated seat, let alone weather protection. Maybe I’m biased in thinking you don’t have to have all that much in the way of kit to make a car liveable then?   I’m running a top-spec Suzuki Swift SZ4 as my long-term vehicle at the minute, and for the £12,515 asking price, it’s positively loaded with features. Cruise control, Bluetooth (for phone and audio), automatic headlights, keyless entry and go and climate control are all among its lengthy list of standard-fit items.   But I could do without all of that. I could even do without a rev counter if I’m honest. It’s nice to have plenty of gadgets and gizmos, but are they really essential?   That then raises the question of what constitutes a necessity. Everyone’s opinions will differ, but there’ll be a few commonalities that are bound to emerge. One, I’d wager, is Bluetooth. The modern, interconnected world relies on speedy communication, so I’ll concede that being able to talk hands-free at the wheel is pretty useful.   Today’s automotive landscape is different to that of even 10 years ago though. Radio/CD/MP3 audio systems are now generally standard, so you wouldn’t count them. Not unless you’ve just put your name down for an entry-level Dacia Duster SUV or Sandero supermini…   Two, I reckon, would be air conditioning. It’s not always standard on small cars and it’s a pain in the neck when your windscreen mists up in the winter – literally, if you have to stoop to see out of the small portion of glass that’s not blurry.   A good A/C system clears this up swiftly. Anti-bacterial air-con is the next step now, apparently… But beyond this, I can’t think of anything more I feel is vital. Heated seats are nice when the temperature gauge drops below zero, but you can live without them.   Sat-nav? Plan your journey and use a map. We all managed perfectly well when it wasn’t around.   Cruise control – especially of the radar guided persuasion – just use your right foot.   Engine start buttons – beyond James Bond’s ride and full-on race cars, do we need them? Automatic headlights and wipers are nice functions, but it only takes a flick of the wrist or the twist of a knob to do it yourself. It’s not exactly a taxing job.   I concede every feature I’ve outlined above I like when they’re on a car. If I ever come to spec a new motor for myself then some of them – probably most of them – will be on my options list.   It’s just I don’t think cars NEED all that stuff.Nice sports car, that's actually desirable www.wewillbuyyourcar.comBlogArticleIndustry observationsCommenthttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=b6520c83-5a3b-483c-8a92-89959d1364dcGrab your shades – and we don't just mean for the paint: this is Brazil's sports carThu, 20 Dec 2012 01:13:04 -0800cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a9b6520c83-5a3b-483c-8a92-89959d1364dcBlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7122012-11-01T08:17:25.437Grab your shades – and we don't just mean for the paint: this is Brazil's sports carFinal drive from Brazil – and perhaps the most regionally appropriate one. Get a load of the Volkswagen Saveiro Cross pick-up truck. This, according to VW man Dr Egon Feichter, is Brazil’s sports car. Let me explain. The roads in Brazil can be brilliant. But they can also be awful, with much of the country still accessed via what are often little more than dirt tracks – and even city centre surfaces typically have the topography of a lunar landscape. Unless you have the luxury of being extremely selective about where you drive your car, there’s no way you could live with an ordinary sports car. It just wouldn’t work as a routine form of transportation. But at the same time, not everybody wants to own a family car – not everyone wants to project that kind of image. And so the pick-up truck becomes the default two-seater form. Rugged enough to cope with the conditions, but the only way you’re going to get the kids on board is to sling them under a tarpaulin in the back. Don’t do that. Anyway, taking this a stage further, the Cross phenomenon kicks in again – adding a dash more style as well as an extra hit of capability. In this Volkswagen’s case, the ride height is increased an extra 23mm and larger all-terrain tyres are fitted as standard. Bright orange and yellow paint is set off against the additional cladding – and in total contrast to the Kombi, people notice this car. It’s based on the Gol – although it also features the back axle from the mk4 Golf, so it’s not quite a straightforward body-shape alteration. The Cross version gets 1.6-litre Total Flex power, which like the CrossFox means 101hp on petrol and 104hp on ethanol. 0-62mph takes 11.6 and 11.4 seconds, respectively. Initial impressions are good – it looks pretty damn funky, and the cabin has a number of fun and functional additions, such as the bungee cord webbing on the side of the seats. Admittedly, part of the appeal for me comes from the novelty, but it’s a strong look even if you don’t like it. Move off, and the engine immediately sounds sporty. But in practice it’s quite hard work, with all the enthusiasm for high revs of a previous generation European diesel. So you tend to drive on the torque – 111lb ft on petrol, 113lb ft on ethanol – which means you can quickly get up a reasonable head of steam, but never run the risk of being judged overly rapid. Similarly, while there’s nothing really wrong with the way it feels from the behind the wheel, there’s little that actually encourages you to hang it all out there. The front-wheel drive chassis is best described as ‘safe’, resisting understeer steadily rather than diving towards apexes – and on this basis, soon enough you stop worrying about what the unladen rear is going to do in a crisis. The ride quality is decidedly firm, which explains the general cornering stability – and though if you hit a bump you’ll certainly know about it, this is probably a small price to pay for a car that otherwise successfully conveys an irrepressible stubbornness. While the lack of four-wheel drive means it isn’t exactly genuinely go-anywhere it feels willing to try. Together with that pronounced sense of Volkswagen build quality, the neat but robust action to the five-speed gearbox and the fundamental practicality – that step ahead of the rear wheel being an example – the Saveiro Cross is a very likeable car. I can’t see it going down in the UK quite as well as the CrossFox might, but if I lived in Brazil I’d want one. Driven: Volkswagen CrossFox Total Flex 1.6 Driven: the 2013 Volkswagen Gol 1.0 Total Flex What's the deal with Volkswagen and Brazil anyway?www.wewillbuyyourcar.com I'm impressed by this value.BlogArticleOn the roadOn launchhttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=049d60fb-f375-476f-96cf-4fe9d5a93478Could this be Brazil's trendiest car? Don't laugh – we're serious. And so is VW.Thu, 20 Dec 2012 01:14:04 -0800cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a9049d60fb-f375-476f-96cf-4fe9d5a93478BlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7122012-10-26T14:39:23.217Could this be Brazil's trendiest car? Don't laugh – we're serious. And so is VW.Following on from the Gol, time for something a little more familiar. This is a Volkswagen CrossFox, the urban warrior in the Brazilian Fox city car range, regular versions of which were offered in the UK between the Lupo and the Up! It never sold particularly well on our side of the Atlantic – the spaciousness of the cabin defeated by dull styling and . But judging by my brief experience here, it is a shame we didn’t get this version. According to Dr Egon Feichter of Volkswagen do Brazil, who joined us for dinner following the test drives, the CrossFox is the car that started Brazil’s current passion for the urban ‘cross’ vehicle. It’s no half-hearted effort either – VWB hasn’t just added a bunch of plastic cladding to this car, it’s also jacked up the ride height and given it a funky, properly engineered external spare wheel carrier. The result is a very striking looking little car, helped by an overall range facelift that’s amplified the Fox’s character. So what if it’s only front-wheel drive? Given the surfaces and some of the driving, it looks like the perfect solution for a keenly mobile Brazil, fusing fashion with practicality and VW’s typically solid construction quality. It’s also powered by a 1.6-litre engine. Which means it has considerably more oomph than any Fox ever sold in the UK. On ethanol it offers 104hp and 0-62mph in 10.3 seconds, on petrol 101hp and 10.6. The engine’s noisy under power, but in more of a sporty than an annoying way, and compared to the Gol it feels like a much more cohesive car. You worry less about the bumps in the road, as the high-rise suspension irons them out just fine, the steering is more accurate, and it generally has a more modern air. Cleverly, it also offers more rear legroom than the Gol, so passenger comfort increases. And it features the full extent of VWB’s environmentally friendly construction techniques – fibre board and insulation made from natural rather than synthetic materials, and seat fabric that’s formed from recycled plastic bottles. While this last looks little difference to the equivalent back home in the UK, I found it started to feel a bit sweaty. Perhaps that’s just the humidity of the Brazilian climate.   Overall, though, I really liked it. The CrossFox has both practicality and charisma, backed up by an appealing sense of depth to its quality. At the right price I genuinely suspect it would go down rather well in the UK (it’s the equivalent of around £14,500 in Brazil). Too late by now – but perhaps a CrossUp is on the way. If not that, then at least the Taigun… Driven: the 2013 Volkswagen Gol 1.0 Total FlexJust looking at this car, makes me wanna purchase one. www.wewillbuyyourcar.comBlogArticleReviewshttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=43422acc-88cc-47bd-8e8e-b8ec7a41c2c6It’s Brazil’s number one bestseller. On the road. In Brazil.Thu, 20 Dec 2012 01:20:27 -0800cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a943422acc-88cc-47bd-8e8e-b8ec7a41c2c6BlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7122012-10-24T21:35:15.233It’s Brazil’s number one bestseller. On the road. In Brazil.I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such genuine excitement amongst my esteemed international press colleagues as the moment when, following the factory tour, Volkswagen do Brazil (VWB) finally let us loose in a selection of its most popular products. As you can see, there were quite a few to choose from, but a compadre from What Car? and I went straight for the main event – the 2013 version of the Volkswagen Gol. I’ve explained this already, but that’s not a typo – Gol is Brazilian for goal, and this car has been the best seller here for the past 25 years. And it’ll take a miracle sales spurt from the competing Fiat Uno to prevent 2012 becoming the 26th. This is the car of Brazil.   Especially when fitted with the 1.0-litre Total Flex engine, like this one. Due to the way Brazil’s taxation system penalises cars based on capacity, 1.0-litre cars presently account for 49% of the market here. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t leave it feeling rather gutless, but if you’re flush there is a 1.6-litre alternative. Total Flex means it can run on everything from regular petrol – E22 in Brazil, meaning it has a 22% ethanol content – to E100, which is 100% sugar cane derived ethanol. Deciding which to put in the tank when you top up is made slightly more complicated by the fact that ethanol makes the car faster but less efficient. According to the label by the gearlever, our Bluemotion model, was running the full E100. This means 76hp and a theoretical 0-62mph, er, stroll, of 12.9 seconds. On E22 you get just 72hp, and 0-62mph takes 13.4 seconds. Even so, that’s a decent power output for something only 999cc in capacity, since the 1.2-litre version of the current European Polo only manages 70hp at best. Anyways, off we pop, out into the wilds of Brazilian traffic for the first time. The factory’s location on the outskirts of Sao Paulo and our destination being at the coast meant we would avoid all the jams. But the further we drive away from the city, the more exotic this country begins to feel.   The motorway could be anywhere, if it wasn’t for the unusual and often ancient-looking trucks. It’s the contrasting surroundings of lush green forest interspersed with vast industrial works, all shrouded in humidity’s mist and intermittent tropical rainfall, that bring on a weird kind of disconnect. There’s little specific that I could point to as being alien, just a creeping sense of otherness all around. Nothing alarming, simply… different. It’s moments like this that make this job a dream. I digress. Back to the Gol. If you were expecting a shed, you’ll be disappointed. The interior is decidedly VW – albeit entirely absent of soft-touch plastics, there’s very little you could fault about the way it's actually been put together. And while the switchgear isn’t quite the same for the most part, and some of the control locations are… idiosyncratic (though having the heated rear window button on the end of the wiper stalk does make a certain kind of sense), the dials and the general imprint of design create a recognisable atmosphere. Like walking into a McDonalds in a foreign country – the contents might not be exactly alike, but there’s enough familiarity for comfort. And it’s far from bad to drive, either. In fact one thing that immediately impresses is the level of refinement. This is a four-cylinder 1.0-litre – as opposed to the triple fitted in the Up! – and you can barely hear it, unless you’re desperately stomping on the accelerator. Wind noise is well subdued, and the ride comfort – especially considering the road surfaces – is almost excellent. Relatively small wheels and an exaggerated amount of suspension travel help here. Desperate accelerator stompage is a fairly common occurrence, however, and the first time you join a motorway from a slip road is likely to stick in your mind. Pick your moment carefully, and make sure you’ve applied one of the lower of the five speeds. There’s not a huge amount of feedback from the steering, but it weights up ok, and the Gol feels stable and predictable at regular road velocities – exactly as an everyday front-wheel drive hatch should. Misbehaving doesn’t suggest it will instantly lead to misadventure, but there’s nothing in the chassis to spur you on, either. It’s sized like a large European supermini – with reasonable rear legroom – and based on bits of the two previous generations of Polo platform. Which if nothing else probably makes it reliable. And cheap. A rough conversion from the Brazilian Real suggests an entry-level model costs in the region of £9,500 – and 35% of that is tax. For consumers who can’t quite stretch to that much, VWB still produces the previous Gol G4, and that starts at around £8k. Alternatively, if you like the car but need more space for luggage, there’s also the Gol-based Voyage saloon. We tried a 1.6 and found it faster (surprise) but also much more noisy. The boxed out storage area on the boot floor is curious yet compelling, though. Obviously, I can’t tell you what the equivalent Fiat is like. But as a home-grown product from a company with a Brazilian presence that goes back 60 years, offering heritage, inoffensive looks, strong build quality and a refined drive, then the Gol’s long-running popularity is easy to understand.   And presumably the free advertising every time a footballer scores doesn’t hurt.http://www.wewillbuyyourcar.com/ Short and nice reviewBlogArticleOn the roadOn launchReviewshttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=f5c18b57-085f-468a-bcb8-463cfe317aa7We get shown around Misano by the winner of the Nürburgring 24 hours in his Audi R8 race carThu, 20 Dec 2012 01:15:50 -0800Sean Carson4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a9f5c18b57-085f-468a-bcb8-463cfe317aa7BlogArticle9998EE0BEA3288FF122012-10-26T11:08:29.67We get shown around Misano by the winner of the Nürburgring 24 hours in his Audi R8 race carAudi wheeled out a special treat for us at the recent launch of its new flagship R8 model, the V10 plus.   It had shipped in the winning race car from this year’s Nürburgring 24 hours along with the pilot that helped secure victories in all four serious endurance races it entered this year, including two gruelling twice round the clock efforts at the Nürburgring and Spa.   So with an R8 LMS and Markus Winklehock calmly sitting in the drivers seat waiting to go, I donned my Audi-branded fireproof suit and helmet and jumped in next to him for a few passenger laps. The motor catches with a throaty rasp as 5.2-litres and 10-cylinders make their presence known. Gunning it out of the pit lane the revs flare in a hail of wheelspin – through the muffled sounds emanating from Winklehock’s helmet I’m picking up the tyres aren’t too warm…   No matter, because temperature comes up pretty quickly and in no time my head is flailing around the cabin under braking, cornering and acceleration like a rag doll.   Interestingly, Stephan Reil – head of Quattro GmbH, the outfit that’s developed the Audi R8 – says that over 50% of the racer’s parts come from the stock road car, including the engine (the surf board sized rear wing obviously isn’t and looks comically large. Functional though). The V10 has been slightly tweaked to produce 570hp and the exhaust relieved of any form of silencing. It sounds glorious, especially with the staccato blip from the throttles when downshifting.   But all this means you can do a full season of racing on one engine with no refreshes. Try doing that in your Porsche 911 GT3 racer… The real pleasure of our two lap jaunt is sitting next to a professional wheelman at work. He wasn’t hanging about either. The R8 LMS runs a touch of traction control (rules dictate it has to be rear-wheel drive, not four-wheel drive like the road car) and a tad of ABS, but it doesn’t stop the mid-engined monster getting a bit lairy on corner entry and exit.   Winkelhock uses aggressive flicks at the wheel to order the rear back into line when it starts to protest, never lifting the throttle. That’d cost you valuable time, obviously…   But I guess that’s how and why you win a brace of 24 hour races. By being on it all the time and never letting the opposition getting a sniff. You’ve got to be sympathetic to the car, but that doesn’t necessarily translate as being slow. After I jump out of the already sweltering cockpit, it’s my turn to hop into the new R8 V10 plus and take it for a few laps myself. You can read what we thought about it here. Suffice to say, it’s quite good.   If I could have kept my head focussed on the circuit for more than the length of a short straight, maybe I’d have been able to glean some info from Markus’ lines. I’d have needed a neck the size of a tree trunk for that, though…I see why anyone would buy this car. www.wewillbuyyourcar.comBlogArticlehttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=77dd3e1c-d893-4cf7-8843-a7288134fd87History, is the short answer. But they're cleaning up for the future, too.Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:40:05 -0700cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a977dd3e1c-d893-4cf7-8843-a7288134fd87BlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7012012-10-24T19:40:05.893History, is the short answer. But they're cleaning up for the future, too.I suppose you might be wondering what on earth I’m doing in Brazil with Volkswagen. The reason for the fuss about the Sao Paulo show is obviously the Taigun concept – and the point of showing this for the first time here is outlined in a previous post. But as for Volkswagen and Brazil in general, well, they go back a long way.   In fact, the 'Volkswagen do Brazil' (VWB) was founded in 1953, and the Anchieta plant at its heart began production in 1957, becoming the first VW factory ever established outside of Germany. No wonder Volkswagen was keen to take us on a tour of the place. Nowadays the company has three plants, 24,000 employees and an annual build roster approaching 830,000 vehicles. VW is not only Brazil’s largest carmaker, Brazil is also the second largest market for Volkswagen products in the world. And because of this long-established history, Brazilians generally think of VW as their own. I guess in much the same way as we think of Ford in the UK.   The range spans 22 types of domestic Volkswagen – though not only cars – and the company sells some models from Europe as well, despite fairly enormous importation taxation issues. And although the Brazilian car market is slightly out of step with the country’s increasing economic power – it’s now the sixth largest economy in the world – the sophistication gap at VW is closing rapidly. For example, the Anchieta factory now incorporates cutting edge robot technology and digital simulation capability, and it won’t be long until the VW Group’s latest platforms start underpinning products here; the present line-up mostly consists of old Polo and Golf components. But what’s really surprising is how environmentally sound it all is – or becoming. VWB already has one small hydropower plant, with another due to come into service next year. This means 40% of the power consumed by its factories will shortly be produced by entirely renewable resources. And in 2011, Anchieta recycled enough steel to fill the Empire State Building one and a half times over. Volkswagen is also responsible for introducing flex fuel engine technology to Brazil. This allows the cars to run on ethanol as well as regular petrol – which sounds straight-forward, except that ethanol is an aggressive solvent, and will attack a regular vehicle from the inside out. Brazil has a long history of ethanol use as a fuel; it's refined from sugar cane, of which there is plenty, given the country is the world’s largest producer of the stuff.   The process is largely CO2 neutral (apparently), but fluctuating pricing means it isn’t always more cost-effective than regular gas. Brazil’s first flex fuel car – a Gol, inevitably – arrived in 2003, and meant that customer no longer had to second guess the fuel market when choosing a new car. As a result, flex fuel engines went from zero to dominant in just three years – and haven’t looked back since. Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept at the Sao Paulo Motor Show 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show: crossovers are kingI suppose you might be wondering what on earth I’m doing in Brazil with Volkswagen. The reason for the fuss about the Sao Paulo show is obviously the Taigun concept – and the point of showing this for the first time here is outlined in a previous post. But as for Volkswagen and Brazil in general, well, they go back a long way.   In fact, the 'Volkswagen do Brazil' (VWB) was founded in 1953, and the Anchieta plant at its heart began production in 1957, becoming the first VW factory ever established outside of Germany. No wonder Volkswagen was keen to take us on a tour of the place. Nowadays the company has three plants, 24,000 employees and an annual build roster approaching 830,000 vehicles. VW is not only Brazil’s largest carmaker, Brazil is also the second largest market for Volkswagen products in the world. And because of this long-established history, Brazilians generally think of VW as their own. I guess in much the same way as we think of Ford in the UK.   The range spans 22 types of domestic Volkswagen – though not only cars – and the company sells some models from Europe as well, despite fairly enormous importation taxation issues. And although the Brazilian car market is slightly out of step with the country’s increasing economic power – it’s now the sixth largest economy in the world – the sophistication gap at VW is closing rapidly. For example, the Anchieta factory now incorporates cutting edge robot technology and digital simulation capability, and it won’t be long until the VW Group’s latest platforms start underpinning products here; the present line-up mostly consists of old Polo and Golf components. But what’s really surprising is how environmentally sound it all is – or becoming. VWB already has one small hydropower plant, with another due to come into service next year. This means 40% of the power consumed by its factories will shortly be produced by entirely renewable resources. And in 2011, Anchieta recycled enough steel to fill the Empire State Building one and a half times over. Volkswagen is also responsible for introducing flex fuel engine technology to Brazil. This allows the cars to run on ethanol as well as regular petrol – which sounds straight-forward, except that ethanol is an aggressive solvent, and will attack a regular vehicle from the inside out. Brazil has a long history of ethanol use as a fuel; it's refined from sugar cane, of which there is plenty, given the country is the world’s largest producer of the stuff.   The process is largely CO2 neutral (apparently), but fluctuating pricing means it isn’t always more cost-effective than regular gas. Brazil’s first flex fuel car – a Gol, inevitably – arrived in 2003, and meant that customer no longer had to second guess the fuel market when choosing a new car. As a result, flex fuel engines went from zero to dominant in just three years – and haven’t looked back since. Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept at the Sao Paulo Motor Show 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show: crossovers are kingBlogArticleOn launchGreen stuffhttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=4e985ae6-8e8f-470d-8238-3142eb7af40dThe best car at the Brazilian show wasn't a new oneThu, 20 Dec 2012 01:19:59 -0800cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a94e985ae6-8e8f-470d-8238-3142eb7af40dBlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7122012-10-24T19:01:52.017The best car at the Brazilian show wasn't a new oneWith apologies to my hosts, I'm afraid the coolest car at the Sao Paulo Motor Show wasn't on the Volkswagen stand. It was on Renault's. Whether it makes up for the travesty that is the "new" Renault Clio, I'm not sure. But this awesome looking bit of kit is an Interlagos – a Brazilian built version of the legendary Alpine A110. Bird Clemente is a celebrated Brazilian racing driver – quite possibly the country's first professional (if an electronically translated version of his Wikipedia page is to be believed). His website is here, if you fancy trying to decipher it for me. Anyways. What a car. An although Volkswagen's SP1 from the Group Media Night might run it close for looks, I'm pretty sure which of these rear-engined beasts would be better sorted to drive... 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show: is it bright in here? 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show: crossovers are king 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show: VW Group Media Night Sao Paulo Motor Show 2012 in pictureshttp://www.wewillbuyyourcar.com/ I look forward to this every yearBlogArticleMotor showMotorsporthttp://cars.uk.msn.com/blog/inside-track-blogpost.aspx?post=10861ae7-2f06-4f1b-99f3-d693afd298b4It’s Latin America’s premier motor show – you were expecting it to be colourful, right?Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:32:46 -0700cj hubbard4335ba6f-ea4d-4818-bcee-7693ba9096a910861ae7-2f06-4f1b-99f3-d693afd298b4BlogArticle63B3D4724A67A8B7012012-10-24T18:32:46.81It’s Latin America’s premier motor show – you were expecting it to be colourful, right?When Nissan issued its original teaser release about the Extrem, it commented on the predominantly boring colours of most Brazilian road cars. While I’m not entirely sure I agree with that statement anyway, there were some exhibits at the Sao Paulo show that certainly made up for it. Say what you like about this Troller jeep, for example, but it’s certainly hard to ignore. Chinese carmaker JAC certainly wasn’t shy about putting the MINI into its J2 supermini, with some impressive graphics packs. And if the black and white motif bores you, fret not… …you can always go for a more, uh, vibrant option. Or even a Chinese flag. Well, why not, I guess. Speaking of flags: Although not quite as exciting as that Jimny, Jeep Wranglers are generally more conservative than this: And if the VW Taigun was relatively subdued on the outside, it certainly made up for it on the inside.  Volkswagen's old Buggy Up! concept wasn’t taking any prisoners either. 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show: crossovers are king 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show: VW Group Media Night Sao Paulo Motor Show 2012 in pictures Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept at the Sao Paulo Motor Show New Nissan Extrem compact crossover sports conceptWhen Nissan issued its original teaser release about the Extrem, it commented on the predominantly boring colours of most Brazilian road cars. While I’m not entirely sure I agree with that statement anyway, there were some exhibits at the Sao Paulo show that certainly made up for it. Say what you like about this Troller jeep, for example, but it’s certainly hard to ignore. Chinese carmaker JAC certainly wasn’t shy about putting the MINI into its J2 supermini, with some impressive graphics packs. And if the black and white motif bores you, fret not… …you can always go for a more, uh, vibrant option. Or even a Chinese flag. Well, why not, I guess. Speaking of flags: Although not quite as exciting as that Jimny, Jeep Wranglers are generally more conservative than this: And if the VW Taigun was relatively subdued on the outside, it certainly made up for it on the inside.  Volkswagen's old Buggy Up! concept wasn’t taking any prisoners either. 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show: crossovers are king 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show: VW Group Media Night Sao Paulo Motor Show 2012 in pictures Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept at the Sao Paulo Motor Show New Nissan Extrem compact crossover sports conceptBlogArticleMotor show