This feed contains the latest News Article feed items. http://www.motortorque.com/ Copyright 2013 MotorTorque All Rights Reserved. Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Automotive Website Framework Engine (2.9.1208.1803) A dad has built his automotive loving daughter a working mini replica of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Remember when you where seven years old and you would come running down the stairs, dart out the front door and find your Dad had made you a replica of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO? Me neither. However, this is exactly what happened with seven year old Scarlett Gurr from Surrey -when her dad revealed he had built her a mini replica of the £25 million motor. This Ferrari 250 GTO is half the size of the original 1962 Ferrari and features a 49cc engine. This engine allows the mini Ferrari to reach speeds of up to 15mph. Although this may seem totally ludicrous and random, Scarlett's father, Stuart, is actually a car restorer, giving him the knowhow when it came to putting together a mini racer. In the past Stuart has made Scarlett mini replicas of the car from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and a Type 35 Bugatti. Young seven year old Scarlett is a member of the British Women Racing Drivers Club and is hoping to take part in the Little Big Man race at Le Mans next year. Stuart has promised to add to Scarlett's collection with a mini Mercedes Uhlenhaut Gullwing coupe 300SLR. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/dad-builds-daughter-mini-1962-ferrari-250-gto-22300.aspx Richard Bush Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT Citroen and Arsenal FC have collaborated for another radical advert to promote its new Citroen DS3 Cabrio model. What do you get if you cross four Arsenal footballers with a dirrrrrty Citroen DS3 Cabrio? An awesome compilation of football adrenaline mixed with a high speed car chase? No. You get three Arsenal footballers soaping a car down and cleaning all the muck off with sponge football's...anti climax much. This collaboration has come around as Citroen is the official automotive sponsor of the London club. The most recent collaboration between Citroen and Arsenal see's football players Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud and Per Mertesacker getting together to wash Thomas Vermaelen's Citroen DS3 Cabrio. After receiving a rather tedious maths lesson from Professor Kenneth Dickens about the perfect equation of a car wash - 'the Premier car wash' (E=1/t+1/w) - we see the four Arsenal players appear on screen, each with their own 'Premier car wash' nicknames. Aaron Ramsey - 'Works bumper to bumper', Olivier Giroud - 'The finisher', Per Mertesacker - 'roof specialist (he's the tall one)' and finally Thomas Vermaelen - 'The driving force'. The 'Premier car wash' starts when Thomas Vermaelen drives up and says 'the works please, gentleman'. We then watch as the players stroll around the car splashing it with soaking wet sponge footballs. The players then start to throw the wet footballs at each other, running around the car and laughing as they do so. There is also a cheesy, 70's, Starsky and Hutch-esque soundtrack playing in the background. A brief intervention takes place where they actually kick the footballs around. Although this advert may seem massively leftwing for both the brand and the club, this is not the first time both have come together for a bizarre advert. Many of us will remember the Citroen DS5 advert that saw the Arsenal team performing ballet. I wonder what else Citroen and Arsenal has in store for us...synchronized swimming maybe? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32B-d6DUXs0&feature=youtu.be http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/citroen-and-arsenal-fc-present-the-premier-car-wash-22289.aspx Richard Bush Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT BMW UK today revealed its network of dealers that will supply and support BMW 'i' - which the company calls its 'revolutionary new sub-brand', featuring electric drive systems and premium mobility services. From launch, 46 BMW sales agents across the UK will offer the company's upcoming i range. Each sales agent will have specialist technical capabilities which allow them to carry out repairs to the vehicles' high voltage batteries. In addition, a wider service network is planned in order to offer extended coverage for the general service, maintenance and repair of BMW i vehicles. So far, only two BMW i cars have been confirmed for production. These are the fully-electric BMW i3 megacity vehicle and the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 sports car. The i3 model, BMW's first fully-electric production car, is due to go on sale in the UK in late 2013. As with the i8 sports car, the BMW i3 features an all-aluminium chassis combined with a passenger cell made entirely from lightweight carbon fibre reinforced plastic. Tim Abbot, BMW Group UK Managing Director, said that customer enquiries about BMW i are already 'extremely high', with more than 6,000 potential-customers registering their interesting in the i brand. Abbot commented: 'With the announcement of our BMW i retail network we are open for business and taking deposits on the i3 and i8. Our BMW i dealerships are located in the areas of the UK with the highest concentrations of population.' The BMW Concept i3 is currently on display in the world's first BMW i showroom on Park Lane, London. In May, the car will feature at the Wentworth BMW PGA Championship and is then due to appear at the Canary Wharf Motorexpo in June 2013. Written by Glenn Doyle. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/bmw-uk-i-new-dealer-network-22288.aspx Glenn Doyle Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT An ambitious competition to create the most economical car of all has taken place at Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where as many as five new fuel economy records were set. This was achieved at the Shell Eco-marathon Europe 2013, where the most economical car averaged an astonishing 8,418mpg. This year's Shell Eco-marathon was partaken in by 183 student teams from different countries across Europe. Each team creates a unique vehicle, either a Prototype or UrbanConcept, which is especially designed to be as aerodynamic and fuel efficient as possible. Each student-made vehicle is either petrol-powered or runs on electricity. The goal for each team entering the Shell Eco-marathon is to make their vehicle drive the furthest distance around a one kilometre-long course, using just a single litre of fuel, or only 1kWh of electricity. Although these student-made creations bear little resemblance to today's standard passenger vehicles, each creation entered in to the Eco-marathon still needs to meet the same roadworthiness criteria of a standard passenger vehicle. Thus each prototype required four wheels, a steering wheel, doors, headlights and taillights, a brake pedal and other details included. The overall winner of this year's Shell Eco-marathon was the La Joilverie team from France, which created a very small cylinder-shaped petrol-powered vehicle. The design of the winning vehicle means the driver lies down within the very low slung shell, with navigation achieved by using a screen by the driver's feet. While this unconventional set-up may not be the most comfortable, it certainly seemed to help in making an incredibldy efficient vehicle. The winning creation at the Eco-marathon achieved a stunning 8,418mpg. The most economical diesel vehicle at this year's Eco-marathon was designed by a separate France-based team which adopted a similar smooth, short and narrow bodyshell and lie-down driving position. The diesel creation by IUT GMP Valenciennes achieved 3,491mpg during the Eco-marathon, a figure even the developers of Volkswagen's BlueMotion technology can only dream of for the time being. In truth the vast majority of vehicles entered in the Eco-marathon were tiny futuristic-looking creations which could physically only fit one person within. There was an exception provided by the Germany-based Team Mobileo, which carried a passenger in its four-seater electric car model and achieved 66.8km/kWh even with the extra weight onboard. One of the few British-based team entries at this year's Eco-marathon consisted of students from the University of Oxford. This group's creation was handed a special off-track award for technical innovation. Although the vehicle itself was not amongst the longest runners, the Oxford students' concept of a compact battery electric car which used solar panels to recharge proved to impress the Eco-marathon judges. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/record-breakings-vehicles-achieve-over-8418mpg-in-shell-eco-marathon-22287.aspx Stephen Goldasz Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT The world famous Pikes Peak hill climb is upon us on June 30 2013 and this year's event is set to be very special. Nine times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb is set to 'race for the clouds' in a Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak car. As part of the build-up to the famous Pikes Peak hill climb on June 30 we are showcasing some of the best hill climb footage over the past few years. Another famous hill climb is Mt. Washington climb. Over the past 149-years it has seen the likes of horses and carriages, camels, people, bicycles and most famously, competition race cars. We take a look at how American Travis Pastrana and 2012 British Rally champion co-driver, Marshall Clarke took on the Mt Washington hill climb and raced into the record books in their Red Bull Subaru Impreza in a time of 6 minutes 20.47 seconds. The video captures the banter of the recce and learning the notes (Jiggy-Jiggy to Sh-right - which actually means short right) to Chasseur sauce and the record breaking run up the mountain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdXJYc4CpXA http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/2013-pikes-peak-build-up-22285.aspx Simon McBride Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT Skoda UK has signed Olympian Ed Clancy as a brand ambassador, with the company hoping that the partnership with the pro cyclist, who won gold in the team pursuit at last summer's Olympic Games, will help to strengthen its association with the sport. Ed Clancy MBE took two medals, one gold and one bronze, at the London 2012 Olympics to add to his collection. In total, Ed Clancy is a four-time world champion, two-time Olympic champion and twice European champion in team pursuit. In addition, Ed has also won World and European titles at Omnium - the multiple race event in track cycling. British Cycling announced that, following the 2012 Olympic Games, Clancy would replace Olympic cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy in Team GB for the team sprint event for a number of competitions. The two-year deal between the car manufacturer and the British Olympian cements Skoda UK's long-standing association with cycling. Skoda UK already sponsors the Tour of Britain, Prudential RideLondon and pro teams Rapha Condor-JLT and Matrix Fitness. Skoda UK will use its sponsorship activity to promote the benefits of cycling and encourage more British families to take up the sport - especially after the feel-good factor from the London Olympics and Paralympics. Heidi Cartledge, Head of Marketing for Skoda UK, commented: 'Cycling is enjoying a huge revival in the UK at the moment and Skoda is incredibly proud to be part of it. Britain boasts many of the sport's brightest stars, including Ed Clancy.' Written by Glenn Doyle. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/skoda-uk-goes-for-gold-with-olympian-ed-clancy-22282.aspx Glenn Doyle Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT Aston Martin has unveiled its new CC100 Speedster Concept by lapping it around the Nürburgring to celebrate its 100 year anniversary. Stylish sports cars are the epitome of the Aston Martin brand. The British manufacturer's cars have always managed to combine driving dynamics with classic styling and the new CC100 Speedster Concept looks like it will be no different. Paying homage to the 1959 DBR1 model - famous for its success on the track - the new CC100 Speedster Concept echoes the cars fluid exterior design with the addition of the 21st Century Aston Martin face. The CC100 Concept makes use of a powerful 6.0-litre V12 engine mated with a six-speed automated sequential manual gearbox. The CC100 can reach a top speed of 180mph and accelerates from 0-62mph in just four seconds. Chief Exterior Designer of the CC100, Miles Nurnberger, said "The brief was very simple, yet enormously testing: create something that reflects the 100 years of Aston Martin heritage and signals the future of the brand. "The idea of an iconic speedster concept that nods to the Le Mans ? and Nürburgring - winning cars of 1959 soon came, and we have had complete freedom to shape this car." Due to its massive influence on the CC100, the 1959 DBR1 was driven alongside the new model at the Nürburgring track - with British racing legend Sir Stirling Moss behind the wheel. Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez has actually nicknamed the new CC100 Concept the DBR100. Unfortunately Aston Martin has said that the new CC100 Speedster Concept is a one off for the manufacturer. However, the CC100 Concept may hint at the design of future models. 'Guess the car' clue: Iconic design; athletic stance. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/aston-martin-debuts-new-cc100-speedster-concept-22281.aspx Richard Bush Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT The millennium - although it may conjure up thoughts of the Millennium Dome, Y2K and Robbie Williams, it actually welcomed a lot of iconic automobiles - and of course some more victories for Sir Alex Ferguson. So, as part of our 'Fergie Years through cars part 3', sit back as we travel through the millennium years and take a look at some of the most interesting cars to reach the market - enjoy. Read 'The Fergie Years' through cars part 1 and 'The Fergie Years' through cars part 2. 2000 - Toyota Prius The Toyota Prius is an icon in its own right nowadays, but it went on sale in Europe back in the millennium. Coupled with impressively low CO2 emissions and comfy interior, the Toyota Prius was a whole new offering when it was released - even though it did offer a strange alien-like exterior design. Although the Prius got off to quite a flat start, it is continually growing more and more popular. 2001 - Mini (BMW launch) In 2001 BMW had a stab at re-launching the epic retro Mini model. Even though power outputs where average, practicality was poor and they were not all that cheap to buy - the Mini was still a big deal when it was released. The entry level Mini model produced 90bhp from a 1.6-litre unit - but all models Mini's famous go-kart handling. 2002 - Ferrari Enzo The Ferrari Enzo is legendary for its lavish style, roaring V12 engine and unfortunately sitting at the side of the road on fire (let's not go there). The Enzo was essentially a collaboration of F1 technology and the latest and greatest sports car technology - with a carbon-fibre body, electro hydraulic shift transmission and traction control. Thanks to its slick F1 credentials, the Ferrari Enzo was capable of enforcing 7600Nm of downforce and reaching a massive top speed of 186 mph. 2003 - Bentley Continental GT Just when you thought the Bentley Continental could not get more appetising, the British manufacturer releases this - the Bentley Continental GT. Fitted with a powerful 6.0-litre W12 engine, the Bentley GT produced a massive power output of 552bhp. Of course, it also offered a luxurious interior. Even though it is a particularly large car, the Bentley Continental could reach 0-62mph in just 4.8 seconds. 2004 - Kia Picanto Although now it is one of the big guns in the city car sector, the Kia Picanto wasn't always as popular as it is today. However, its launch was the beginning of a new era for the Korean brand. The first generation Picanto was launched back in 2004 and it offered the same type of snug city-sized design with similar sized 1.0-litre and 1.1-litre powertrains. The Picanto was quite generous when it came to kit as it featured the likes of a CD player, aircon and electric windows. 2005 - Bugatti Veyron Named Car of the Decade, the Bugatti Veyron is the fastest street legal car in the world. After various concepts and collaborations between Volkswagen and Bugatti, the Bugatti Veyron was born - capable of reaching around 267mph. Due to its powerful engine and sporty exterior design, the Bugatti Veyron has become a favourite with footballers and movie stars. 2006 -Audi R8 Based on the platform of the Lamborghini Gallardo (already a good start) the Audi R8 was manufactured by Audi's high performance company, quattro GmbH. Fitted with a 4.2-litre V8 engine producing 414bhp, the Audi R8 is both stylish and powerful. Its body design was built around geometric space frame principles, making it strong and lightweight. As well as being based on the Gallardo platform, the Audi R8 also comes available with Gallardo transmission for an even sportier feel. 2007 - Nissan Qashqai The Nissan Qashqai sparked a surge of popularity in the sporty/compact SUV market. The Qashqai is largely regarded as one of the first crossover SUV's as it incorporates the practicality of a hatchback with sporty SUV styling. With an entry level 1.6-litre petrol, the Qashqai doesn't offer anything special in terms of power. However, with sporty crossover SUV's it is all about style. 2008 - Jaguar XF Launched at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Jaguar XF added another string to the British manufacturers bow. The Jaguar XF offers a mixture of premium style and punchy powertrains. Its engines are particularly interesting as they range from a small 2.0-litre petrol unit to a 5.0-litre V8. Every Jaguar XF model comes laced in full leather - cloth trim does not even an option. 2009- Nissan GT-R Launched in the UK in 2009, the Nissan GT-R was a breath of fresh air to the supercar market. After many concept stages, the GT-R seemed to keep getting better and better as it reached production. The GT-R was extremely well received as the replacement for the ageing Nissan Skyline, sporting a very capable 3.8-litre V6 engine producing 478bhp. 2010 - Lexus LFA The LFA is the second iteration of Lexus's F line-up and it builds on the established reputation of the Lexus IS F. The LFA features a carbon-fibre body and comes fitted with a V10 engine, allowing it to produce 552bhp. After receiving countless orders for the model, Lexus actually had to hand pick buyers when it went on sale in 2010. Fergie time...2011 - 2013 onwards 2011 - Range Rover Evoque The Range Rover Evoque was an instant hit when it went on sale in 2011 - becoming the new 'cheap' option in the Range Rover line-up. Strutting a new compact crossover body style and highly customisable design (thanks to some input by Victoria Beckham), the Evoque was essentially the next evolutionary stage of the crossover segment. With hundreds of international awards, the Range Rover Evoque has been the success story. 2012 - Peugeot 208 The latest Peugeot 208 looks set to truly challenge the supermini market. After its release in mid-2012, the popularity of this supermini skyrocketed, taking a lot of the shine off lucrative models like the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa. It seems Peugeot went back to the drawing board with the new 208 and concentrated on cool, enjoyable driving dynamics - echoed further with the 208 GTi model. Check out our Peugeot 208 video review 2013 - Jaguar F-Type Jaguar has said that its new F-Type will mark the brands return to the sports car sector - and it is just in time to see off Sir Alex Ferguson this year. Modelled on the classic Jaguar E-Type, the new F-Type offers soft drop driving, cool contemporary styling and a punchy V8 engine. Three sporty trims, 495bhp and one hell of an attractive appearance. Watch out sports car competitors. Read our full Jaguar F-Type review http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1DRIc8GQQ8 http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/the-fergie-years-through-cars-part-3-22277.aspx Richard Bush Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT The newest entry for one of the most popular car racing games in the world, Gran Turismo 6, has this week been confirmed for the Playstation 3 console. It has been marked down for release in time for Christmas 2013. The Gran Turismo racing series, dubbed 'The Real Driving Simulator', allows gamers the chance to select from hundreds of real-life cars and race them against opponents at various tracks, including locations based on real-life circuits and cities. Since the first Gran Turismo entry was released in Europe back in May 1998, an estimated 70 million copies of games from the racing series have been sold worldwide. Now this week the franchise marked its 15 year anniversary at an event hosted by publishers Sony Computer Entertainment over at the Silverstone Circuit near Northampton, UK. Sony and the developers of Gran Turismo, Polphony Digital, unveiled the first details on the newest entry for the long-running game series at the world famous Silverstone race circuit. Gran Turismo 6 will from launch be sold exclusively on the Playstation 3, much like its predecessor (Gran Turismo 5) which has sold over ten million copies since its release in 2010. The new game will feature all of the cars and tracks that featured in Gran Turismo 5, but also added are seven new locations, including the Silverstone Circuit. This takes the total number of locations in the game to 33, with 71 different layouts available, 19 of them brand new. The total number of cars included in Gran Turismo 6 will grow to as many as 1,200 from launch, while even more cars will be added through online downloadable add-ons. A reveal trailer for Gran Turismo 6 has been published which shows the freshly introduced Silverstone Circuit in-game, along with some of the newly-introduced cars added. Amongst the new cars featured in the Gran Turismo 6 trailer includes the Tesla Model S, the KTM X-Bow and the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3. To some it will come as a surprise that Gran Turismo 6 has not in fact been announced for Sony's new game console, the upcoming Playstation 4, which is expected to begin first deliveries towards the end of this year. However the designer of the Gran Turismo series, Kazunori Yamauchi, revealed in an interview that a Playstation 4 version of this game is under consideration. A demo of Gran Turismo 6 will be made available for online download in July 2013. Nissan's "biggest" GT Academy programme In the same week Gran Turismo 6 was finally confirmed, Sony and Nissan also revealed that the innovative GT Academy competition will return for a fifth season. In the past few years Nissan has teamed up with Sony and Polphyony Digital, using Gran Turismo 5 to help create a virtual-to-reality competition that has attracted over two million entries. The GT Academy sees gamers and motor sport fans battle it out on Gran Turismo for the chance to become real Nissan racing drivers. Six former winners of the competition are now part of the Nismo motorsport division and partake in real top-level races on behalf of Nissan. Now the GT Academy competition will continue through Gran Turismo 6, with the first online qualification rounds beginning through the game's upcoming demo. The winner of this year's competition will be able to partake in a full season racing a powerful Nissan GT-R GT3 Nismo. For more Gran Turismo-related reading, you can check out our 'virtual' first drive of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, achieved by playing Gran Turismo 5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-LILLcpO88 http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/gran-turismo-6-confirmed-out-for-christmas-2013-22276.aspx Stephen Goldasz Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT With the newest addition in The Fast and the Furious saga, Fast & Furious 6, being released in cinemas UK-wide today, we thought we would choose one car that epitomises the entire series. So what better than the 1970 Dodge Charger? If you take a look at any 'top cars from the Fast and the Furious movies' lists, you will more or less see the 1970 Dodge Charger model sitting proudly at the top. The Dodge Charger is the main car that protagonist Dominic Toretto, portrayed by Hollywood star Vin Diesel, drives in the series. The film series has seen the car destroyed, then rebuilt and then destroyed again. Both a classic and newer version of the Charger appeared in the previous film, Fast Five, with the Toretto's Classic Charger destroyed by an armoured truck. In the newest film, Fast & Furious 6, Toretto will be seen driving a Dodge Charger Daytona, alongside fellow actors Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez and Luke Evans. Back to the real world now, the 1970 Dodge Charger was the last of the second generation Charger models. Along with new 'high impact' colour options, such as 'Top Banana' and 'Panther Pink', Dodge provided a new engine option for its newest Charger model: the 440 Six Pack. The new engine featured three two-barrel carburettors and a power rating of 390bhp. Despite a 'hot new engine', production of the Dodge Charger slipped - although most of this was due to the company's brand new E-body Challenger model. So what do you think is the best model in the 'Fast & Furious' series? Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter to share your opinions. Written by Glenn Doyle. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/the-fast-and-the-furious-special---1970-dodge-charger-22275.aspx Glenn Doyle Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT