sergio lives

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BETTER THAN IT LOOKS ...

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I read about it. I watch movies about it. I tell stories about it. Hell, I have whole friendships that are based on it. There is no question, then: I love Formula 1.

Formula 1 is a huge part of my life. On some days, I even imagine that it embodies the very essence of competition, ingenuity, and bravery. Early in those pre-dawn mornings, watching the races live on BBC, I can even convince myself that Formula 1 is the physical manifestation of man's highest ideals ...

... that's before the coffee kicks in and I come to my senses, of course. Formula 1 is just a show, after all; but it is one hell of a show - and the stars of the show, guys like Fernando Alonso and Kamui Kobayashi, are my heroes. Recently, I've added another name to my list of favorites: Sergio Perez.

This Saturday at Monaco, Perez was in a horrific crash that saw his Sauber slap into the safety barriers at terrifying speeds.

Watching it live, I was sure he was dead.

Watch it yourself - how would you like to go through this?

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... IT WOULD HAVE TO BE

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Sergio Perez, of course, did not die. Perez lived, suffering only a minor concussion and a few sprains - which is awesome, because I've been through a lot these past few weeks, and I don't think I could have handled that.

So, in a rare expression of gratitude, I'm going to thank the cosmos for keeping one of my guys alive.

Awesome stuff, universe. Thank you.

1990 mercedes c11

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CLASSIC SICKNESS

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Every once in a great while, I like to have a profound philosophical insight that changes the way I think about the world and how I see my place in it. In today's insight, however, it was perhaps the way I see Speedriven's place in the world that's changed.

That said, I won't share exactly what that insight was; but I will hint at it.

Watch and learn.

i love kuwait

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According to the OP, this video shows one of Switzer's P800 GTR Nissans running an "825" Vivid Racing Porsche on the streets of Kuwait ... and it is Killer.

Turn your speakers way, Way, WAY up for this one, kiddies - the real fun starts about :20 in. GO, Basel!

rhys' new ride

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Rhys Millen - the man who turned the Pontiac Solstice into a butch ride and made crushing your pelvis in an aborted attempt to backflip a pickup seem sexy - has a new whip ... the sexy, Sexy new RedBull Hyundai Genesis R Spec coupe!

I know everyone's been gasping about Ken Block for the past few months, but seriously - no one can wheel like Rhys.

Enjoy the video!

crazy, mental good liek whoa!

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You see that dyno sheet, kiddies?

Click on it. Study it. Take your time.

Seen it, yet?

THAT, my dear droogies, is the dyno curve for one of the leanest, meanest, and greenest racing motors there ever was or will be. THAT (up there) is THIS, though a full year on and firmly affixed to the new RENNkart (below), itself an evolution of last year's SLR.Kart.

There will be more (official) press and PR coming soon ... but, man - when you've got a 65 hp motor in a 300 lb kart you've got tell someone, you know?

Enjoy the sneak-peek. More tomorrow.

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nelson racing engine

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I know this is old news by now, but Corvette Mike is building himself a monstrous 1635 hp MT900 to terrify the Veyrons with.

I've covered the car before (HERE and, more recently, HERE), but this is the first photo I've seen of the Nelson Racing ultimate V8 (above).

CLICK HERE for the original World Car Fans article.

my moroso is my 100th post!

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Big changes at Moroso have been underway all year, with Aaron Weiss hoping to make a big splash, build a world-class facility, and attract some Serious race events to a track that has been a longtime favorite of many South Floridians.

Recently, Moroso launched "My Moroso", an actual, honest-to-usefulness service that helps enthusiasts keep up to date with all the latest and greatest happenings at blah blah blah ... it's my 100th post, people!

Yee-freakin'-ha!!

Can you believe it took me over a YEAR!? Sheesh ... I must have had some kind of actual life for a while, there.

Good thing THAT's over, eh!?

Now that we're in the triple digits - it's time for some Serious mucking up of the blogosphere.

Hold on to your f***ing hats!

short interview

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British racing driver and Mosler's UK assembler Martin Short gives Endurance-Info a great interview about his plans for LeMans, and Mosler's plans for GT dominance in the UK.

Always great to see a Florida boy do well overseas!

CLICK HERE for the original article and (P1 heavy) photo gallery.

ecomusing and more bullsh*t

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This is one of my favorite episodes of Penn and Teller's Bullshit series, as it highlights the mythologies and not-so-hidden socio-political agendas of the environmental hysterics.

With all the talk of hybrid this and eco that these last few days (with more to come, I'm sure) I'd like to point out that I absolutely DO NOT believe in some impending global environemental crisis, the doomsday scenarios of the "peak oil" wingnuts, or any other chicken-little theory.

That said, I AM a strong supporter of increasing CAFE standards and firmly believe higher gas prices are good for America.

Without getting too far off track (this is a blog about cars, after all) I will also say this: more efficient vehicles are simply more fun.

If you deny that claim, then admit, at the very least, that efficient vehciles have the potential to be fun - consider the latest crop of electric cars from Tesla and Fisker. That Tesla thing looks like fun ... and putting around Key West on a 100 mpg scooter while you're blowing a 0.22 is a BLAST, I promise!

I mention this because we're building a hybrid now - and, while it will share many characteristics with its wussy green brethren (I'm looking at you, Prius!), it shares more (in spirit) with the Tesla Roadster and a nearly forgotten generation of Group B Audi Quattros and Lancia S4 Deltas. That is: instant torque.

An electric motor hits with all of its available torque at 0 rpm. The INSTANT you "flip the switch", as it were, you are on the move ... and if you have enough batteries on board, you are on the move Very quickly!

Does it save gas?

Sure, it does - but that's just gravy.

The point is to have fun, try new things, remain true to who you are, and not hurt anyone else in the process, you know? To have a car (in this case) that was good at everything you wanted it to be good at, and that didn't make you sacrifice anything you wanted to keep. If only there was some sort of corporate motto or catchphrase that could sum that up ...

I'll think of something. In the meantime, enjoy the Bullshit.

ml&e beats me to my own punch!

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Modified Luxury and Exotics magazine let the hybrid cat out of the bag this morning when they posted the first "pics" of RENNTECH's upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 based concept car, "the Rally Dominator".

I have to give some special thanks to ML&E editor Colum Wood, though, for getting my early GLK 'chops international attention (Danke! You're the best.), even if I was trying to keep them under wraps until October!

That said, the GLK WILL have a hybrid power plant, as well as bodywork that can best be described as a bit more ... aggressive?

Yeah. More Aggressive.

CLICK HERE for the original ML&E article, and stay tuned ...

ha! she said "batsh*t"!

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At about 1:25 in to the 10 July episode of "Fast Lane Daily", uber-auto-hottness Alexandra Gizela tells us about the Nelson Racing 1635 hp Mosler MT900 (covered HERE a few days ago).

She says "batshit" at 1:39. HA!

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I'm an idiot.

renntech for clk63 black series amg

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Mercedes-Benz made a big splash with the introduction of its CLK63 AMG Black Series coupe last year. The aggressive "F1 safety-car" look gave the 500 hp CLK Black a visual edge that the CLK55 AMG lacked, and the Black Series' suspension and brakes were in a decidedly different league compared to other Mercedes.

Impressive spec sheet notwithstanding, some customers will still believe that 500 hp is not enough, and for those select few who find the CLK a bit tame, there is always RENNTECH.

Established in 1989 by Hartmut Feyhl (ex technical director: AMG North America), RENNTECH quickly made a name for itself with high-powered magazine tuner-shootout cars that were reliable enough to actually be driven from RENNTECH's home in South Florida thousands of miles to events in Texas and Michigan. For the CLK Black, Feyhl told his crew to develop the same kind of "real-world" performance upgrades that made his cars so famous to begin with.

"Real-world performance is all about torque, not so much about a peak horsepower number at very high rpm," explains Feyhl. "It can be very easy to build high rpm horsepower, but to get instant throttle response and mid-range acceleration it is more difficult, and this is where customers really want to feel that improvement." To build that improvement, RENNTECH adds long-tube headers and a motorsports style exhaust to the already-potent 6.2 liter engine, tying it all together with RENNTECH's own ECU software, sharpening throttle response and boosting 550 peak hp. The real story, however, is drivability - and this is where the RENNTECH tuning package shines, delivering an additional 45-60 lb-ft of torque between 2400 and 5000 rpm.

To "sharpen" the car even further, RENNTECH fine-tuned the CLK63 Black Series' suspension, lowering the car 3/4" and adding carbon-fiber strut braces front and rear. To enhance mechanical grip in fast corners, RENNTECH also added fully-adjustable camber bushings at all four corners. Aerodynamic stability is also greatly enhanced with an adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing element and a front splitter/rear diffuser combination to manage underbody airflow, building usable downforce and (adjustable) aerodynamic balance at speed, while directing cooling air to the Black Series' huge AMG brake rotors - themselves enhanced with high-performance pads and stainless-steel braided lines. The result is a hard-core CLK63 from RENNTECH that does the unthinkable: it makes the standard CLK63 seem a bit soft.

Contact RENNTECH for more. CLICK HERE for more pics.

renntech announces green racing engine

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Lake Park, FL - 15JAN2008 - RENNTECH's New Year Resolution: Greener Engines.

After closing out 2007 with exciting news about the SLR McLaren 722GT and Jamie Ferrell's big Open-class victory at December's Tulsa Shootout, the Mercedes-Benz super-tuning firm RENNTECH is kicking-off 2008 with some environmentally responsible resolutions, starting with the XR50 rotary kart engine.

"When the XR50 was at the Tulsa Shootout, which was the engine's first national-level race, many people were asking why we were building a rotary to begin with," explains Hartmut Feyhl, RENNTECH's president and former AMG technical director. "Development on the motor first began in 1996, with Paul Woelfle in Germany, who built the motor as a response to tightening emissions regulations in Europe. The goal was to have an engine that was competitive, but with much cleaner exhaust than the 2-strokers. We accomplished that, and the engine is now as clean as the very best 4-stroker kart engines - but we felt we could still do better, and that led to the E85 version."

Shown here in an "Eco Green" paint scheme (production models remain "RENNTECH Red") the modified RENNTECH /Aixro XR50 offers environmentally conscious racers something really unique: a cleaner, flex-fuel karting engine that can run away from the "dirty 2-strokers" that have, until now, dominated the sport. "On most track configurations the Aixro is superior, which is what you would expect from a motor with almost 50 hp," offers Feyhl.

You read that right: almost 50hp. In a 285 lb. sprint kart (weight with driver) the RENNTECH /Aixro XR50 delivers a power-to-weight ratio better than a Corvette, Porsche 911 or Ferrari F430, so buyers can expect to experience 100 mph at 2" from the ground (!).

"2008 is really going to be a big year for RENNTECH," says Feyhl. "We will be announcing a few other projects soon, and a good number of them will have a 'green' angle. This is something that all tuners will eventually be doing, even though many are still fighting it. We think it's a very exciting time to be developing new products, and have been very excited by the potential of some of the new technologies."

E85 Aixro rotaries will be available in Feb., MSRP for the XR50 is $5250. Contact RENNTECH KARTING for more information.

renntech joins slr.club

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Since 1989, RENNtech has been producing some of the most powerful and refined performance cars on the market. Recognized as one of the world's premier tuning firms and America's foremost authority on Mercedes Benz, Hartmut Feyhl (president of RENNtech and ex-technical director at AMG North America) is also an avid kart enthusiast.

It was this passion for karting that led to RENNtech's latest foray into motorsport: RENNtech Karting.

RENNtech Karting is the exclusive importer for the Aixro XR50 rotary kart engine, which RENNtech has been developing for stateside applications. The compact engine was designed as an alternative to 2 stroke shifter karts, which are being phased-out worldwide due to increasingly stringent emissions regulations. The Aixro is as green as the best racing 4-strokes, while delivering significantly more power (48 "base" hp).

"It's really an incredible design. I can't get enough of it." explains Feyhl - who, after years of getting extreme horsepower figures from Mercedes and AMG cars, isn't known for getting excited.

The Aixro rotary, however, seems to be the kind of thing everyone is getting excited about, including members of the exclusive SLR.CLUB.

The SLR.CLUB holds many of its events at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, under the heading SLR.SAFETY and SPEED ACADEMY. These 2-day events allow SLR owners to get together and culminates in a chance to drive their exotic cars at speed on the historic track. First, though, club members receive professional instruction from well-known drivers (including David Coulthard and Jochen Mass) and familiarize themselves with Paul Ricard in purpose built "SLR" kart chassis provided by Swiss-Hutless.

In the beginning, the club experimented with different 4 cycle engines, but these didn't provide the excitement or reliability SLR.CLUB members were looking for. "It was a matter of not enough speed, and too much downtime," offers Feyhl. "When they had a chance to drive the track with the rotary, they were totally hooked by the smoothness and the power."

With almost 50hp from the light, 32 lb. package - that's hardly surprising! SLR.CLUB has been running the karts through the summer, and intends to expand its SAFETY and SPEED ACADEMY events to several historic European tracks next spring.

speedfest

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Hello, all. (both of you)

I've been just utterly SLAMMED lately with SEMA, the new SLR 722GT, Dinan work, the WinterTour, and more, so time to 'blog is coming up scarce. All the same, I thought this bit of news from the CRA was worth mentioning, if only because USA International is a neat little track that gets overlooked all too often.

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Officials from the Midwest-based Champion Racing Association (CRA) Super Series, the Southern-based FASCAR/Sunbelt Super Series and USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Florida have combined to announce the dates for “SpeedFest 2008” at the beautiful central Florida facility. Super Late Model teams and fans will gather for the fourth annual event, January 24-26, 2008.

“SpeedFest has been a great event for our facility and fans as well as the Late Model teams,” noted USA International Speedway promoter Bill Martino. “It has been a true battle of North vs. South, with each side seeming to alternate in claiming victories, Wisconsin’s Charlie Menard won the inaugural event in 2005, Florida’s Mike Fritts won in 2006 and Hoffman last year. It is definitely something we look forward to each year now.”

The event will be under the direction of CRA’s Glenn Luckett and R. J. Scott and FASCAR’s Don Nerone. The CRA will also be co-promoting the event with the speedway - and, while the sanctioning bodies will direct the on-track activities, officials want to be very clear that this is an “open” event. “We welcome teams from all over the country and different organizations to be part of this weekend,” commented CRA managing partner R. J. Scott.

Entry forms, rules, and a schedule of activities can all be found in coming weeks at any of the following sites: craracing.net, fascar.org, asalatemodels.com or usaspeedway.com.