Formula 1 Pre-Season Testing

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Steve

The Formula 1 season is fast approaching and, provided you follow us on Twitter, you’ll be fully aware that I’m quite F1 obsessed. It was my childhood dream, like many people I’m sure, to become an F1 driver, however the closest I get to such feats is a casual bit of go-karting.

Pre-Season

The pre-season test sessions are in full swing and at the moment it’s difficult to judge the relative performance of all the different manufacturers.

Newly named Lotus F1 stormed out of the blocks with their comeback King Kimi Raikkonen and new recruit Romain Grosjean taking the plaudits in early testing as they proved to be the quickest car in Jerez, however they hit significant troubles in Barcelona as the shiny new E20 chassis developed a problem that was classed so important that Lotus had to return home to address such issues.

They will be back in action for the final test session that begins tomorrow and it will be interesting to analyse how they perform. I, however, use the word “analyse” very loosely here as you can never read too much into pre-season testing!

Lotus F1

Speaking of Lotus, it’s great to have such a historic and evocative name back in Formula 1. Lotus has achieved huge success in previous decades, such as the 60s, 70s and 80s, and it will be great to see the Lotus name back on top. If this were to happen this could also stimulate sales for the Lotus road cars, which due to their relative cost and performance, will also be eligible for a reasonable motor insurance quote. This would, naturally, boost the British motor industry further.

Top Three

Another rather mixed pre-season performance has come from the prancing horse of Ferrari. They were somewhat slow out of the blocks with both Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa expressing concerns. However, as the weeks have progressed Ferrari have made great strides and are tipped to be the dark horse of the top teams going into the opening race weekend in Australia on March 18th.

Unsurprisingly, Red Bull have again shown their speed. It appears that the new car is up and running without any problems whatsoever. Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber have been posting consistently quick lap times and they have also simulated full race runs.

McLaren have also had a reasonably strong start to pre-season. They’ve completed steady runs and currently look to be in good shape. However, as I mentioned before, pre-season rarely gives great insight to how the season will pan out and therefore we should not be reading too much into who places where during the testing sessions.

Furthermore, there has also been much talk about the design of the new cars. The front nose has a very noticeable dip in front of the front bulkhead which is, if I’m honest, really quite ugly. However, they say a winning car is a beautiful car, so it will be interesting to see what the most beautiful car will be this year…

Subaru to Launch BRZ

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Steve

Since the launch of the first Impreza in 1993, Subaru’s have excited petrol heads across the land and now there’s an all new beast ready to be unleashed to get us excited once again. The BRZ will launch this year and the UK specification for the extremely anticipated car has been revealed.

Top Spec Model

The top of the range BRZ will come fitted with shiny, 17 inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, dual-zone climate control, MP3 connectivity and very responsible front, side, curtain and knee airbags. Whilst Subaru of course has a speed obsessed side to them, they do also like to keep their drivers safe!

Now the exciting bit. Under the bonnet the BRZ will have a 197bhp 2 litre boxer engine that will be perfect for after-market parts. There will also be a torque-sensing limited slip differential, with owners having the choice before purchasing the car of having it equipped with a six-speed manual, or a paddle operated semi-automatic gearbox.

Attention to Detail

The BRZ is particularly impressive due to the nature in which it has been designed and built. Subaru insisted on having the centre of gravity as low as possible and so half of the cars rather light 1100kg has been placed below knee level in order to improve the handling.

That, for me, is great attention to detail and shows that the designers are serious about this new offering. Whether or not it is a direct replacement for the Impreza, it certainly is going to appeal to those that enjoy modifying their cars.

Tuner Potential

Subaru have even addressed the tuner clientele they know they will attract by stating that they will release a stripped out edition of the car. This will act as an even more focused version of the BRZ whereby tuners will be able to customise the exterior and engine as freely as they like. Those that do decide to equip their Subaru with after-market parts will have to consider their car insurance cover whilst doing so as any modifications are likely to increase the premium.

I’ve always been a fan of the old Impreza; the noise it made coupled with the way it looked was like nothing else. You could always tell when an Impreza was crawling up the road as the 4 cylinder boxer engine would rumble and burble at low revs. It truly was a one of a kind and a favourite of tuners.

The Range Rover Evoque

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Steve

I’ve always been a big fan of the Jaguar Land Rover group and in particular I’ve harboured a fairly strong love for the Land Rover Defender. It’s been around since 1983 and was developed from the original Land Rover Series that was launched in 1948.

Function or Form

What I love is the true, honest, ruggedness of it. It’s built for one purpose, tackling the great outdoors! And, in my opinion, it also looks great too. It’s such a simple design which is exactly how it needs to be. This is seemingly a case of function over form yet the function instantly makes it look cool with its big chunky tyres and simple, square build. Fitted with the V8 engine it will also sound beefy, which is good, very good! Ever since I can remember I’ve had a desire to own one and I am still pursuing such an aspiration!

The Evoque

I can’t recall there ever being an ugly Range Rover or Land Rover produced (views and opinions welcome on this matter), and the latest model to come from the people at Jaguar Land Rover is very much in keeping with this. The Evoque is a spectacular looking 4×4. It’s so refreshing to see Range Rover going their own way with the styling and design as the baby Range looks nothing like its rivals. It looks edgy, unique and really quite fashionable. It’s almost like a fashion accessory more than a car.

However, how does it drive? By all accounts, very well indeed! It can handle the tricky off-road stuff whilst also being smooth and comfortable on the road.

Under the Bonnet

With a 240bhp 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine under the bonnet, the Evoque is not short of grunt and acceleration either. It also comes with diesel alternatives which may prove to have cheaper motor insurance for those that are looking to keep costs down.

The 6-speed automatic gearbox is also very responsive and smooth and it has been claimed that the Evoque will be able to achieve 32.5mpg, which for something of its size is very respectable!

The Evoque has already proven popular too as I have seen a number of them on the roads in recent weeks and they are sure to continue selling well.

Would you like to own one of the latest fashion items on the automotive market? With prices starting around £40,000, it will certainly be one expensive fashion statement, but one that owners will absolutely love!

Mercedes Reveal Performance Duo

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Steve

Yesterday’s Formula 1 test in Barcelona was also the scene of the unveiling of a very important new Mercedes performance car: the SL63 AMG. And the reason why I state that it is a car of some importance is because it is, quite simply, a sledgehammer of a machine!

Will they be able to keep up?

The new SL63 AMG will be available to buy in the UK this summer and it was revealed before a frenzy of excited press representatives in the Barcelona pit lane alongside the new Mercedes MGP WO3 F1 contender.

This was clearly a display of authority from Mercedes-Benz, who are coming under increasing pressure to perform and win on the grandest stage of all.

This is the third season the silver arrow will compete as a works team at the top level in the modern era and so the pressure is seemingly on for the pairing of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg to get results.

Previous Challengers

BMW, one of Mercedes’ biggest rivals pulled the plug on their F1 involvement after a disappointing 2009 season. They believed that poor results were detrimental to the company’s image and, ultimately, their car sales. Let’s hope Mercedes’ bosses are not thinking the same thing and instead they stick to their F1 programme. At the end of the day a continued F1 presence will benefit the development of the road cars whilst hopefully leading to race wins.

AMG Features

Anyway, I digress! Back to the new AMG Merc.

It will be fitted with a 5.5 litre V8 powerhouse that produces 529bhp. The engine is one that has been used in previous performance models such as the E63 and S63 amongst others. However, for the new SL63 AMG, it has been tweaked and tuned and will now also offer 30% greater fuel economy. This, if true, will result in great fuel savings and may also see the car placed in a slightly lower insurance group, which could, ultimately, lead to a lower motor insurance quote.

Extra Details

The new car is also lighter than its predecessor by 125kg thanks to its aluminium and magnesium structure. The new body kit that was developed by AMG also looks rather brutish with aggressive flares, a deeper front bumper and large cooling ducts. There are also lashings of AMG and V8 Biturbo badges.

Inside there are much the same gadgets as you get on the previous model, however the new SL63 AMG will also come with the automatically tinting Magic Sky Roof system. An aluminium folding hardtop roof is also included.

The new car will be publicly revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Will you be in attendance? And do you fancy a new SL63 AMG?

Let us know what you think of Mercedes’ new machine and what you think of their F1 prospects this year by commenting below.

Porsche Announce the New Macan

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Steve

Porsche has announced that they are to design and build a new SUV and it will be called the ‘Macan’. It will basically be a baby version of the Cayenne, a car that already divides opinion. For me, the Cayenne doesn’t really work. Porsche’s are all about being light on their toes and, above all, fast. The Cayenne is more a luxury cruiser, and one that I personally don’t think looks great either. From the rear it is a very good looking 4×4, however the front end is certainly not to my taste and it spoils the overall appeal of the car.

Interesting Name

However, let’s not right the new Macan off before it’s even on the production line. Porsche have stated that the name comes from the Indonesian word to mean ‘tiger’. Perhaps they are hoping to emulate the ferocious and savage characteristics of a tiger. Something that can be difficult in a 4×4 as such qualities are more associated with a lightweight sports car, such as, the 911 GT3RS for example.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what Porsche come up with; they’ve promised “suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics”. Let’s wait and see…

Serious Contender

The Macan will be built from next year onwards in the Leipzig factory. This is a factory that has just received €500 million of investment which should give us some understanding of just how important this model is to Porsche, and to further boost that understanding, Porsche has announced that they hope the new Macan will double their overall sales volume.

It would seem Porsche are hoping to attract those that have previously bought, or looked at buying, the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5.

Limited Details

So far there have been very limited details offered by Porsche, however we imagine the engine will be smaller than that in its big brother, the Cayenne. This should mean that it will be possible to purchase cheaper car insurance quotes on the Macan, which could also be a big selling point for potential customers.

This is an interesting step by Porsche for sure, but currently it seems to do very little for me. Surely those that are after the best 4×4 on the market will look no further than a Range Rover and surely those that want a Porsche would opt for the much more appealing 911?

The MotorMouthBlog Competition is over. And we have a Winner!

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Steve

Firstly we’d like to thank everyone that entered the competition. The reception it received was fantastic, and we are very keen on running similar competition’s again in the near future.

The competition was also good fun as we enjoyed reading all the tweets we received. It was also nice to see that I wasn’t the only one that thought the Ferrari F40 is the greatest car ever made (yes @SJM_1984 I’m talking to you – great choice!).

Furthermore, it was great to see how far and wide our reach went, from TV personalities to motorsport bloggers, we had 32 official entries along with a vast number of retweets and other @mentions regarding the competition. So, again, we say thanks to everyone that took part!

Now, as I quite obviously had a biased opinion towards the F40, and therefore one of our entries, it would have just been too hard for us to hand pick the winner, so instead we found a random online generator, popped all the entries in, and let the computer generate a randomly ordered list. The Twitter name that was placed first, wins. Simple!

So here it is…

Well done @Carpervert, Jonny Smith, for winning the prize! Being a 5th Gear presenter, you probably aren’t a stranger to a track day experience, but of course, the prize is there for you to accept provided you genuinely want it, however, if you’re feeling generous the prize is also there for you to offer to someone else. It’s entirely your choice!

T&Cs

If the winner has not accepted their prize by 9am on Monday 20th February, they will be removed from the prize draw and it will go to someone else chosen at random.

Audi Announce the TT RS Plus

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Steve

It has been revealed that there is a new Audi TT to launch. It will be called the TT RS Plus. A punchy little name from what is sure to be a punchy little car! The ‘RS’ badge instantly lets you know it is designed with performance in mind, and the ‘Plus’ badge tells you that there is added oomph to get drivers smiling even more!

Performance Updates

The RS Plus will come with a 2.5 litre turbocharged five cylinder engine that has been overhauled since its time in the original RS in order to achieve more output. Due to the fact that the engine is so similar to the standard RS however, will mean that it should be possible to purchase a similar car insurance quote.

As a result from the overhaul, this new Plus model comes with 20bhp more than the original TT RS, which means it will have a very exciting 360bhp at the squeeze of the throttle. With the S tronic automatic gearbox fitted, the TT RS Plus will achieve a 0-60mph time of just 4.1 seconds and it surprises me that the auto box allows a quicker time than the manual. Audi have said that it will get you to the magic 60 0.2 seconds quicker than the manual. It must be an extremely responsive system therefore, which is just what you’d expect from an Audi.

The TT RS Plus will then push on to an incredible 174mph, which is seriously fast from such a small car. This really does seem to be a thoroughbred performance car now! Audi have also admitted that this top speed is actually limited which means that the Audi has even more potential, should the owner require it on the track.

Historic Technology

The new TT RS Plus will also come with Audi’s sophisticated all-wheel drive system which, over the years, has developed a reputation for its brilliance. The original Audi Quattro was, after all, a world beater in the World Rally Championship during the 1980s. Such technology has since been passed down through Audi’s performance cars.

The exterior has also had a bit of a makeover as the RS Plus comes with huge 19 inch black and red rims as well as a single-frame radiator grille, some carbon fibre side mirror housings and a new exhaust flap, which seems to be the ultimate addition for performance cars these days!

With all these updates, would you fancy a go in the Audi TT RS Plus? Or would you prefer the original?

New BMW M6 to Launch

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Steve

It has been announced that BMW is set to reveal the all new M6 at next month’s Geneva Motor Show and according to the very clever people at BMW, it has been given a “generous dose of M feeling”. This can be roughly translated to mean that the engine is extraordinarily powerful and that there are lashings of M badges on the wheels, grilles and side panels.

Improvements

The new M6 is also, upon first glance, a pretty stunning looking thing. BMW have re-styled the entire car and it is now, in my opinion, significantly better looking than its predecessor as it comes with some very sleek, new curves and the big rims are, as usual on BMW’s, very smart and stylish. The chunky rear tyres paired with the twin tailpipes will also let everyone behind you know that the new M6 is no slouch!

And slouch is not a word that you would associate with the M6 once you’ve heard what is under the bonnet.

New Power Source

The old V10 has been binned in favour of a smaller, more economical, but ferociously powerful 4.4 litre twin turbocharged V8. The new engine produces a stunning 552bhp, all of which will be sent to the rear wheels in order to create one lively experience! Furthermore, the added bonus of the engine being more economical than its predecessor is that it should hopefully save you money on fuel and motor insurance quotes.

A number of years ago the Formula One circus began using V8 engines instead of V10 engines in order to, not only slow the cars down a bit, but use less fuel and thus run more efficiently. Now it seems that such ideas are being translated to road cars, except instead of the road cars slowing down, they are gaining more power instead!

The added plus of the twin turbo’s is that when the turbo power kicks in, the driver will really feel it! Depending on how they are aligned and set-up, the power will either come in one violent thump when hitting a certain RPM or it will be gently eased in at low revs before delivering added oomph throughout every gear.

Impressive Tech

Speaking of gears, the M6 will be fitted with the very clever seven speed M double clutch system, with the tasty extra of launch control for those fun days out at the track. The new car will reach 62mph in just 4.2 seconds before going on to a top speed of 189mph, provided you take the optional extra of the M Driver’s Package.

It’s not just the engine that is impressive either, as the M6 will come with some great tech, such as lane departure warning (which is fairly self explanatory), surround view, night vision and pedestrian recognition along with internet access.

I was never the biggest fan of the old M6, but this new one looks like a bit of a gem. It’s sure to be a wonderful motorway and city cruiser as well as a menacing challenger on the track! Does M power float your boat?

My Favourite Car of All Time

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Steve

To keep in tune with the MotorMouthBlog competition we are running this week and into next week, today I am blogging about MY favourite car of all time. Now this, for me, is a tough one. As a pure petrol head it’s difficult to choose one favourite out of so many cars I have loved and admired over the years.

So Many To Choose From

Be it from simple and elegant cars like the Aston Martin DB5 (surely a classic, British favourite that one) to thoroughbred powerhouses like the explosive Dodge Viper GTS of the mid 90s, or the Jaguar XJ220, which was in 1992, for one year only, the fastest production car on the planet as it was able to achieve 213mph. The McLaren F1 then smashed that particular record by around 20mph in 93.

Also in the mix, quite naturally, are cars that I have owned. I’m sure there will be lots of people out there that can empathize with me here when I say that a car isn’t just a lump of metal, but it’s a thing of beauty and character too. Any petrol head will naturally begin to love their car as if it was their own blood, or is that just me?

My Current Car

Well, nevertheless, my current car, a rare electric blue Renault 5 GT Turbo is one of the greatest things I’ve ever sat in, in my opinion at least. It’s from a time before NOS and chrome spinners; it just represents pure and simple performance in a bite size amount.

The little 1.4 engine is bolstered by a turbo which significantly boosts power and enjoyment!! And because it’s so light it still achieves a very respectable 0-60 time of around 7 seconds. And because it has a relatively small engine, it’s possible to get a great motor insurance quote on such a thing too! It also sounds good, and I, quite simply, love it…just the other day I was talking to an RAC mechanic (don’t ask) about turbo lag…call us geeks but that’s cool!

If I Had to Choose Just One…

Anyway, if I had to choose just one car as my all time favourite, it would just have to be the Ferrari F40. I’ve blogged about the F40 before when I explained how it was my favourite classic of all time, and the reasons I gave then are much the same now.

The simple, raw performance of it is so refreshing at a time when supercars these days are powered by computers instead of people. It was like a go-kart with a 471bhp twin-turbo charged engine, which is my recipe of fun! It was also the fastest production car in the world, and the first to break the 200mph barrier, from 1987 to 1992, when the aforementioned Jaguar XJ220 was then released. The F40 truly is a one of a kind; it looked cool, went like stink, and was as simple as a barn door.

Join our competition by following and tweeting us your favourite car of all time @MotorMouthBlog.

Track Day Competition

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Steve

It’s competition time here on the MotorMouthBlog and we are giving away an awesome track day experience. One lucky winner will win a day out at one of nine locations where they will be able to drive a Ferrari AND a Lamborghini.

The competition is open from now until 5pm on the 15th February. All you have to do is tell us via Twitter what your favourite car of all time is and why. Now of course Twitter only allows you to tweet a certain number of characters, so choose your words wisely! You may just end up slinging two gorgeous supercars around a track…

Spread the word petrol heads. It’s time for some fun!

The winner will be chosen at random after the closing date and contacted via Twitter.

Twitter: @MotorMouthBlog

Locations:

Lancashire (North) – Three Sisters Race Circuit
Leicestershire (Midlands) – Bruntingthorpe
Leicestershire (Midlands) – Lutterworth
Leicestershire (Midlands) – Prestwold Hall
North Yorkshire (North) – York
Northamptonshire (Midlands) – Rockingham
Surrey (South East) – Chobham
Warwickshire (Midlands) – Kenilworth
Warwickshire (Midlands) – Long Marston

T&Cs:

Your voucher is valid for 10 months. This voucher is valid on weekdays only. Should you wish to take the experience on a weekend date you may pay an upgrade of up to £40, dependant on supplier, directly to the supplier upon booking. Drivers shorter than 5’0” or taller than 6’6” and/or weighing more than 16 stone may have some difficulty being accommodated. Maximum height at the Lancashire and Northamptonshire locations is 6’4″. Participants must be 18 or over and must have a full UK driving licence which they have held for at least a year. Driving licence must be presented on the day. Please note: At most locations you will have the option of buying a collision damage waiver, for an additional charge, this charge will vary depending on location and the number of cars driven on the day. All dates are subject to availability. Please note, this voucher may not be extended.