80s face-off: Renault 5 Turbo RWD vs Alpine A310

Dieppe-based Alpine established itself with the A110, winning the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally and the World Championship. But by the late '70s competitors, like the Lancia Stratos, caught up. Renault had to act fast and decided to compete with a new car in the Group 4 (later Group B), the 5 Turbo.

The little mid-engined, rear-wheel drive beast proved to be a worthy successor, as in 1978, driven by rally legend Jean Ragnotti, also won the Monte Carlo Rally.

At that time, the most coveted road-going Renault was the Alpine A310. Two years later this changed, as the coupe's supremacy was challenged by the production version of the 5 Turbo, in what turned out to be one of the '80s biggest face-offs.

Initially, the A310 was powered by a 125 hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, featuring 2 twin barrel Weber carburetors. In 1976, besides being restyled, the French coupe was fitted with the 2.7-liter V6 engine, jointly developed by Renault, Peugeot and Volvo. Power rose to 150 hp, enough to push the A310 to a top speed of 220+ km/h (137+ mph).

When it launched in 1980, the 5 Turbo took another route while trying to deliver top-notch performances. Relying on its extensive F1 experience, Renault gave it a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, developing 160 hp. And unlike the standard 5 that had a front-mounted engine, the Turbo model featured a mid-engine layout.

The two cars were very different in terms of design, but both featured the same technical setup: mid-to-rear mounted engine and rear-wheel drive. This made the face-off very interesting, as performance-oriented buyers, capable of ignoring the price difference, had to make a difficult choice: displacement or force induction.

The decision was made even more complicated by the fact that the 5 Turbo was equally fast, reaching a top speed in excess of 200 km/h (124 mph).

Check out the gallery below to see more photos of the two cars and don't forget to share your choice with us, in the comments section.

By Csaba Daradics

Lead photo source: Idei , Videos: Youtube

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LA Show 2010: Ford Focus Race Car Concept

Making its world premiere in LA today is the Focus Race Car Concept that will form the base for the Blue Oval's next global touring race car. Powered by a 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the new racing model will get its first shot on the tarmac at the 2011 British Touring Car Championship.

For the creation of the Focus racer, Ford collaborated with various race teams from around the world in order to make sure that the new car meets rules governing circuit racing in the United States and beyond..

"This teamwork has resulted in a global racing platform using a common Focus body and a safety cage built to FIA regulations – a competitive platform that can be tailored for regional competition, based on different rules," said Jost Capito, director of Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport Business Development.

"By leveraging our collective experience and Ford technology worldwide, this approach parallels our global dedication to the Focus production car and specifically its exciting performance derivative, the new Focus ST, to deliver a competitive race car that can be campaigned around the world."

Based on the new Focus, the Race Car Concept has been upgraded with AST performance dampers, sport sway bars provided by Ford Racing and enormous, 320 mm front brakes, for extreme stopping power. Hoosier race tires wrap around the 18-inch Anthracite alloy wheels.

Inside, there's a roll cage and a Recaro racing seat with a six-point safety harness, alongside a fire suppression system. The AIM MXL Pista dashboard has a digital layout and features, among other data, a tachometer, rev counter and gear position indicator.

Ford is keen to benefit as much as possible from the teams' racing experience, so it's going to provide them full support, including data, advanced engineering tools and parts. The idea is that, in a few years time, new race-inspired technologies should make the transition to street models, as was the case with the 2012 Mustang Boss 302.

By Csaba Daradics

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Chevrolet Ditches V8 for New Twin-Turbocharged V6 in IndyCar Series

If there's one way to convince buyers of the advantages of smaller displacement engines with fewer cylinders, it's to do it through motorsports. And now General Motors is marking its return to the IndyCar Series with a new twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V6 racing engine powered by renewable E85 ethanol fuel that will essentially replace the older V8 program. The new, purpose-built Chevy IndyCar engine will be co-developed by General Motors and Ilmor Engineering.

Previously, Chevy took part in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V8 engines, winning 104 races, powering six driver champions, and achieving a total of seven Indianapolis 500 victories.

"Our vision is to design, build and sell the world's best vehicles – and racing is one of the best ways to showcase what we can do," said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. "Re-entering IndyCar racing will help us take our advanced engine technology to the upper bounds of what's possible. And it will also provide a dynamic training ground for engineers, who'll transfer the technologies we develop for racing to the products we sell to our customers.

GM's IndyCar V6 turbo will have a displacement of just 2.4 liters and feature will an aluminum block and cylinder heads. According to the company, the V6 will be a fully stressed chassis member supporting the gearbox and rear suspension. GM said more technical details and specifications will be released at a later date.

"Our return to IndyCar as Chevrolet enters its centennial year is natural," says Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. "At the same time this engine program will be a showcase for the efficient and powerful engine technologies that parallel new Chevrolet vehicles like the Camaro, all-new Cruze compact and Equinox crossover."

Skoda Celebrates IRC Title with Fabia RS Edition S2000

In celebration of the International Rally Championship (IRC) title won by its Fabia S2000, Skoda has rolled out a limited-run edition version of its road-going Fabia RS hot hatch dressed in the firm's racing colors. All 200 examples of the car will be painted in a Rally Green finish with a white roof, white alloy wheels and stickers from the rally-spec S2000 model.

There are no other changes over the stock model, which was presented for the first time at this year's Geneva International Motor Show. As a result, the limited edition Fabia RS gets the same 1.4-liter twin-charged petrol engine with 180-horsepower and a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission with paddle-shifters transferring power to the front wheels.

Since changing colors has no affect on performance, the Edition S2000 is as fast as the normal Fabia RS reaching the 100km/h mark in 7.3 seconds while topping out at 225km/h or 140mph.

The VW Group owned maker has not yet released pricing for the Fabia RS Edition S2000.

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VIDEO: Fiat 500 Races Koenigsegg CCX in Swedish Webhost Ad

Here's a car race with a difference: an automotive remake of the classic Tortoise and the Hare story, starring a Fiat 500 as the tortoise and a Koenigsegg CCX as the hare. Well, not a real 500 and CCX; these are 1:24 scale models, and the whole thing is filmed in stop motion. It was made by Swedish filmmaker and photographer Robin Danehav as an advertisement for Binero, a Swedish webhosting service.

That's why this video is called 'Binero vs. Loopia', with Loopia being Binero's major competitor in what is no doubt a hotly contested segment of the market (well, I guess there are over 9 million potential customers in Sweden).

I think the moral here is...if you want fast webhosting, go for Loopia, but if you want webhosting that really cares and likes Apple products...try Binero? Eh, there must be something lost in translation, I think. Anyways, it's a cute video all the same and very well made.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

By Tristan Hankins

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VIDEO: Ferrari 458 Italia is Auto Express’ 2011 Performance Car of the Year

British car magazine Auto Express, has crowned the Ferrari 458 Italia their 2011 Performance Car of the Year (PCOTY). The magazine chose the Italian supercar from a list of 20 contenders, including other big names like the Audi V10 Spyder, Porsche GT3 RS, BMW M3 Competition and Mercedes SLS AMG. The Honda CR-Z, Renault Twingo Cup 133 and Skoda Fabia RS were the more down-to-earth cars of the group. Watch the video summary after the break to see what makes the F458 this year's performance car in AE's opinion.

By Csaba Daradics

Via: Autoexpress

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VIDEO: Vladimir Putin Drives a Renault Formula 1 Car

Former Russian President and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is doing his best to remain in the spotlight. After his country decided to back the Renault F1 team, by branding it with Lada advertisements, Mr. Putin was invited to drive the R30 Formula One racer at a special event held in St. Petersburg. Video after the break.

Wearing a helmet painted in his country's colors and with Russia written on the visor, Vladimir Putin is said to have reached speeds of up to 240 km/h (150 mph), showing that he is a man of many talents.

The PM's interest towards the sport is also due to the fact that Russia's bid to hold an F1 event after the Sochi Olympics in 2014 was successful as the deal was signed less than a month ago.

By Csaba Daradics

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Meet the 90X, Peugeot’s Next Le Mans Contender

Say bonjour to Peugeot Sport's next generation racing car, currently codenamed 90X. Set to compete in the 2011 racing season, the 90X will replace the four-year-old 908 HDi, which took first place in the 24h of Le Mans in 2008.

Peugeot had entered four 908 prototypes at this year's edition of the Le Mans, but while the racers took the top four spots in the qualifying round, all four cars had problems and were retired before the end of the race. This was the first time that none of the Peugeot 908s finished the 24-hour classic. So now, the French carmaker is preparing its successor that has just completed its first track test.

"Our objective was to start track testing before the end of the year," says Peugeot Sport Director Olivier Quesnel. "I am pleased to report that we have now done that. Even so, there is still a long way to go and a considerable amount of work to be done as we prepare for 2011."

The new car meets ACO's 2011 regulations and is also a closed cockpit model, meeting the mandatory 900 kg (1,984 lbs) weight limit. A new safety feature has been incorporated in the design, a "shark fin" placed on the engine cover, meant to prevent the car from becoming airborne in the case of a high-speed spin.

"We are still exploring several options with regard to the engine and technology we will use," Bruno Famin, the Technical Director of Peugeot Sport, pointed out. "Work on the engine's development is ongoing. Endurance racing is an ideal proving ground to provide us with the opportunity to showcase all the brand's technologies" he added.

By Csaba Daradics

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VIDEO: 170 mph in a Ferrari 430 Scuderia on the Monza Track

Where are my friends with their Ferrari 430 Scuderias and Monza track days? The best I can hope for is a ride around the McDonald's parking lot in a rust-coloured Datsun 280ZX with a faulty clutch. No wonder I'm so cynical.

So the story goes that YouTube member "Marchettino" flew shotgun in his mate's Ferrari 430 Scuderia at some sort of invitation only track day for Ferraristas. Speaking of which, there's a nice selection of Maranello muscle there. I think I saw (and correct me if I'm wrong) two 430s (white and red), a red 360, a black 458 Italia, a red 599 and a silver 575 M. Man, my Jealous-O-Meter is at like 11 right now.

So his friend hits 270km/h (170mph) in 6th gear...big deal. That doesn't make me green with envy. I'm a grown man; I have no interest -cough-cough- in this girly, track day malarkey.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to buy some bright red Michael Schumacher F1 gloves and a bottle of Ferrari Light Essence. Ciao...

By Tristan Hankins

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Volvo Looking to Claim Title of World’s Fastest Hybrid Truck

After improving a previous world speed record for the standing kilometer in June 2010 with a diesel model, Volvo Trucks is now developing a new diesel-electric hybrid version called "Mean Green" to claim the title of the World's Fastest Hybrid Truck in spring 2011.

A well known Swedish truck racing ace, Boije Ovebrink, is going to be the one to drive the hybrid and he's already very confident of a positive outcome. "I'd go so far as to say that 'Mean Green' is the world's fastest hybrid truck," Mr. Ovebrink said.

"I started building the truck from two half frames that had been earmarked for the scrap yard and the American VN cab came from a crash-tested chassis whose cab was totally intact," explains Volvo engineer Olof Johansson.

Conventional oomph comes from a 16-liter Volvo engine, fitted with Volvo Penta twin turbos that increase peak output to a whopping 1,900 hp (1,417 kW). The electric motor adds another 200 hp (149 kW) and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque to this explosive cocktail and can interact with the driven wheels through a modified I-Shift automated gearbox.

Weight reduction is crucial when you want to set these kinds of records, so Volvo engineers milled a new, 43 kg (95 lbs) lighter front axle and also removed the gear set for the first gear, as it was rendered useless by the huge amount of torque. That shaved off another 7 kg.

Even Mr. Ovebrink takes part in these weight-saving efforts. " They made me promise to lose 20 kilos and, so far, I'm half-way to my target," said the truck racing driver.

The first test runs will take place this month, so we'll be keeping an eye open for any updates.

By Csaba Daradics

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Swissauto 40Hp Kart: It doesn’t get any purer than this

Supercars are nice, no doubt about it, but few people can really afford them. The price is high, upkeep is high, taxes are high and any mistake, even one that ends in a mild fender-bender is still going to cost you an arm and a leg. A bit too much then, for some weekend fun.

Fortunately, there is a cheaper alternative and, might I add, at least as fun as owning a supercar. A kart. This is driving at its purest form and if you ever saw a kart race with Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher in it you'll know what I'm talking about.

True, those karts can cost as much as €100,000 (US $138,950), but a Swissauto 250 engine and matching chassis are about €4,000-5,000 (~6,000-7,000 US dollars). I think that's a fair price for something that can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in about 3,5-4 seconds!

Yep, the one-cylinder 250cc engine is quite a gutsy little beast, capable (depending on the carburetor diameter) of 35/40 hp (26/29 kW) at 10,000 rpm. The torque is also delivered high-up in the rev-range: 28 Nm (20.6 lb-ft) at 8,000 rpm.

Driving this thing is quite an experience. The bucket seat squeezes you like a boa constrictor and you're sitting at an inch from the tarmac. There's no suspension, not in the classic sense, anyway, so you feel every bump on the track, even the hairline cracks.

That would be the downside. The upside of this setup is that the kart will communicate with you unlike any car you've ever driven. Steering is razor-sharp, so, if you're smooth enough, you can hit any apex with extreme precision.

On the other hand, if you're jumpy, you'll end up all over the place. You just can't floor the accelerator. The kart will instantly do a 180 turn and bite you in the behinds.

You have to be extremely progressive with applying the throttle or the brakes. Only then can you wring out its enormous potential, which, believe me, is jaw dropping. And you can still have some money in the bank. Hey, this is better than (paid) love...

By Csaba Daradics

Link: Swissauto

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