Toyota Motorsport South Africa’s new-for-2013 Yaris S2000 rally car will face its sternest test yet when the team’s three examples line up for the national championship Toyota Gauteng Dealer Rally on Friday and Saturday (May 31 and June 1).

After finishing fourth on debut in the season-opening Total Rally, third in the Sasol Rally and first in a regional rally in the Eastern Cape, the scene is set for a potential maiden national championship victory in the first of two Toyota-sponsored rounds.

“We’re happy with the progress we’ve made with the Yaris in just three events,” said team principal Glyn Hall. “We entered the Ocean Basket Rally in Port Elizabeth as part of our preparations for the Toyota Gauteng Dealer Rally and to accelerate our development and testing of the new car. The results were very encouraging, but now we have the considerably more serious challenge of going up against our established national championship rivals.

“With the latest changes and improvements we’ve made, we’re a lot closer to achieving optimum performance from the Yaris.  We’re feeling good about the new car and our confidence is up.  A win would be nice in our own event, but our aim is to keep moving forward and see where it takes us.”

Leeroy Poulter and Elvéne Coetzee, who won the regional event, and Johnny Gemmell and Carolyn Swan, who were second, will crew the two Castrol Team Toyota examples of the four-wheel drive, two-door Yaris, while Giniel de Villiers and Greg Godrich will be in the Imperial Toyota car.

Poulter and Coetzee are currently second in the championship behind defending champions Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton (Ford Fiesta) after finishing fourth and second in the two rounds held so far. Gemmell and Swan are sixth in the standings, while De Villiers and Godrich, who will be making only their second appearance in their new Yaris, are ninth.

The Toyota Gauteng Dealer Rally will take place in the Bapsfontein area and will cover a total distance of some 300 kilometres, of which around 180 will consist of 10 timed special stages including two gravel Super Special stages at the RallyStar Motorsport Academy.

The event will start from the Toyota Parts Distribution Warehouse near Boksburg at 10.30 on Friday (May 31) with the last of the day’s five gravel stages being a Super Special.

The action resumes on Saturday from the Toyota Parts Distribution Warehouse at 07.00 and will finish after another four gravel special stages and a repeat of the RallyStar Super Special from around 15.00.

Toyota Motorsport South Africa Acknowledges Its Sponsors and Specialist Official Supplier and Technical Partners

Toyota enjoys a mutually beneficial relationship with Castrol, Toyota Financial Services, Imperial Toyota Group, Innovation Group, Bosch, DeWalt, Donaldson, Edgecam, Ferodo, NGK, SKF and Spanjaard.

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May 2013 – The Land Rover Discovery 4, world-renowned as the ultimate all-purpose vehicle, is now available with coil spring suspension in the Discovery 4 XS, which has been specifically designed to cater to the adventure market.

The XS is fitted with Land Rover’s 155kW 3.0 TDV6 powerplant and is aimed at broadening the appeal of the Discovery 4 thanks to its competitive pricing.

“In response to customer demand we are pleased to introduce the Discovery 4 XS,” says Peter Biven, Marketing and Communications Director for Land Rover South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa.  “The XS is essentially an expedition vehicle designed for robust, overland work.”

While the plush luxury of the Discovery 4 makes it the perfect partner both on- and off-road, for those looking to do longer expedition journeys the Discovery’s many indulgent features are not a priority. As such the XS has been stripped of its sunroof and other features such as electronic seat adjustment.

The Discovery 4 XS features 18” alloy wheels, automatic climate control, cruise control and  cooled centre cubby among its still extensive list of features. Ready for adventure the XS is fitted with a tow bar and features Trailer Stability Assist. It is only available in five seat configuration.

Cloth seats are standard fitment but can be upgraded to leather as an option, the only other option available on the vehicle is the addition of privacy glass if required.

 “This is a tough, hardworking vehicle that delivers unbeatable utility in some of the most demanding territories,” adds Biven.

Set to take advantage of these benefits is South African explorer and humanitarian Kingsley Holgate. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he has been described by Getaway Magazine as “the most travelled man in Africa” and has modeled himself on David Livingstone. Land Rover has been Kingsley Holgate’s vehicle of choice for many years.

“Land Rover epitomizes travel and adventure,” says Holgate. “We require competent, capable and dependable vehicles on an expedition and that is exactly what Land Rover has delivered.

As with other models in the range the XS features Land Rover’s acclaimed 8-speed transmission with Drive Select and rotary shifter, Hill Decent Control and Low/High range gear selection.

Driver controls include steering wheel paddles as standard enabling the driver to take control of gear shifting manually. The rotary switch selects park, reverse, neutral, drive or sport modes, the last of these optimising the gearbox response times for maximum acceleration, improved response and sharper upshifts.

 “We are excited about the introduction of the new Discovery XS. It is a more affordable option in the Discovery line-up and caters to a market with very demanding requirements,” concludes Biven.

Like all Discovery 4 models the XS comes standard with a 5yr/100 000km maintenance plan. It is priced R598 600.

The post EXPEDITION READY LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 4 appeared first on 3D Car Shows.

The new EUROALL SEASON AS200 is a multi-talented tyre for use 365 days a year.

The post Falken Tyres announces new year-round tyre for all weather conditions appeared first on 3D Car Shows.

With its two doors and large tailgate, plus two full-size individual rear seats, the seventh model in the MINI family complements the elegant sportiness of its proportions with a new rendering of the familiar MINI interior.

Design: powerful stature, sporty and elegant coupé lines.

The innovative concept of a compact Sports Activity Coupé is expressed in an exterior design that faithfully embodies the MINI Paceman’s multifaceted driving properties within the template of the established MINI design language. The front end exudes muscularity and presence, while dynamically sweeping lines and powerfully curved surfaces lace the flanks of the car with sporting elegance. The coupé-style roof, swooping downwards towards the rear, sits almost seamlessly atop the passenger compartment and its distinctive contours fit neatly into the coupé mould. The most eye-catching new feature of the rear end are the taillights which, in a first for MINI, feature a horizontal design.

Interior: exclusive ambience, impressive variability.

The MINI Paceman has been designed squarely as a four-seater. Sports seats for the driver and front passenger are included as standard, and the pair of individual seats in the rear offer impressive shoulder room and headroom, outstanding lateral support and exceptional comfort. The side window controls, meanwhile, are integrated into the prominently three-dimensional door trim. The high-opening tailgate of the MINI Paceman and its low boot sill allow the luggage area to be accessed in comfort. Load capacity stands at 330 litres, increasing to 1,080 litres when the rear seat backrests are folded down.

The drivetrain: powerful engines, optional ALL4 all-wheel-drive system.

The MINI Paceman is available in two powerful and efficient petrol variants from launch, ranging from the MINI Cooper Paceman (90 kW) and MINI Cooper S Paceman (135 kW). Plans are in place to add a MINI John Cooper Works Paceman variant to the range in June 2013. The Sports Activity Coupé is the second model – after the MINI Countryman – which customers can order with the ALL4 all-wheel-drive system as an option.

The chassis: a new take on the go-kart feeling. 

The MINI Paceman’s cutting-edge chassis – consisting of a MacPherson spring strut front axle and forged cross members in tandem with a multi-link rear axle – underpins its hallmark MINI agility. The new model comes as standard with lowered sports suspension and DSC (Dynamic Stability Control). Electric Power Steering with standard Servotronic function likewise enhances the ever-present go-kart feeling on board the MINI Paceman.

Comprehensive safety equipment and high-quality comfort-enhancing features.

The high torsional rigidity of the MINI Paceman’s body plays an important role in both its agile handling and its impressive passive safety. Its standard-fitted safety arsenal includes front and side airbags, as well as side curtain airbags for both rows of seats. All seats are fitted with three-point inertia-reel seat belts. Front seat occupants will also find belt tensioners and belt force limiters, while in the rear ISOFIX child seat attachments are in place should they be required.

High-quality standard equipment – such as air conditioning, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, the Centre Rail and the radio MINI CD with

AUX-IN socket – underlines the car’s premium character. The range of options, meanwhile, includes a sports leather steering wheel (standard in the MINI Cooper S Paceman) with optional multifunction buttons and cruise control, heated seats, an electrically operated glass roof, Comfort Access, xenon headlights, Adaptive Headlights and Park Distance Control. Added to which, MINI Paceman customers can also make use of innovative MINI Connected on-board functions such as web radio, Facebook and Twitter usage, Dynamic Music, Driving Excitement, Mission Control and the MINIMALISM Analyser.

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Nelson Panciatici and his co-driver, Pierre Ragues, crossed the finishing line of the 3 Hours of Imola in second place. With this first podium, the Signatech-Alpine team and their drivers are now in second place in the provisional rankings of the European Le Mans Series Championship.

For its roaring return to Imola, the Alpine marque did not pass on the opportunity to shine from first practice, with a best time for Nelson Panciatici. The performance in free practice, with a full tank of fuel, augured well for a good qualifier but a slow puncture relegated the Alpine A450 to the second line which penalised them at the start of the race. While Nelson had to be satisfied with following the pace on a circuit where it is difficult to overtake, the Alpine driver snatched the best time during his relay.

Nelson Panciatici was the first to come back into the pits to hand the wheel to Pierre, his co-driver, who went out into a double relay after a change of tyres. This offset strategy compared to their competition was to serve them well by the end of the race.

He relinquished the wheel to Nelson after a great relay in which he closed in on the race leaders. Unfortunately, a problem at restart cost them some thirty seconds. Nelson Panciatici went straight into battle to quickly reach second place. He then tried to put pressure on the leaders by taking back more than 30 seconds before relaxing his pace in the last two laps. Nelson crossed the finishing line some 40 seconds behind the winners to give Alpine its first podium since victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours of 1978.

“We were fast during the whole race,” Nelson pointed out. “Despite the traffic we managed to stay in front positions. I had good pace right to the end thanks to our excellent Michelin tyres. We were disappointed after the qualifiers and rightly so because I had to settle with following the pace at the start of the race when I was actually faster. It’s also harder in traffic when you’re behind others. Our offset strategy was good but we’re still learning what our Michelin tyres can do and we didn’t try any double relays. It’s a good result for the whole team even though I think we had the potential to win. It’s good news for Le Mans!”

“Our two drivers did a very good job,” said Philippe Sinault, the boss of the Signatech-Alpine team: “We still lack some perspective to accurately gauge our Michelin tyres’ capabilities during a race. We didn’t risk a double in the first relay although the tyres did have the capacity. We’ve got what it takes. Thanks to the data we’ve gathered, we will be able to optimise our strategies. The project has generated huge amounts of enthusiasm. This podium is a positive boost before the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

As early as next week, the Signatech-Alpine team start their tests in preparation for the Le Mans 24 Hours. Nelson Panciatici, Pierre Ragues and Tristan Gommendy will be at Magny-Cours for the night trials. They will then be present on June 9 for the Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day, with the new aerodynamic kit. The Alpine A450 wants to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Le Mans 24 Hours as it should!

The post EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES 2013 – ROUND 2: 3 HOURS OF IMOLA appeared first on 3D Car Shows.

Designed and constructed in fewer than six months at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, working with key supplier Multimatic Inc, under the leadership of Special Projects and Motorsport Director David King, the finished look of the two-seater CC100 is the work of Design Director Marek Reichman working alongside the brand’s Chief Exterior Designer Miles Nurnberger.

The Aston Martin CC100 Speedster Concept Car looks HOT and SPORTY and looks like a machine that is going to attract lots of attention in the near future if it turns from concept car into a production car.

The 6.0-litre V12-powered concept car completed a lap of the famous Nordschleife at Germany’s ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring race. It is lapping the circuit together with the 1000km race-winning 1959 DBR1 with British racing legend Sir Stirling Moss at the wheel. It is the most tangible expression yet of the brand’s year-long 2013 centenary celebrations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxsw-eiHh2s

Here are some of the first images of the all new Aston Martin CC100 Speedster Concept Car.

Images of the Aston Martin CC100 Speedster Concept Car

The post Images: Aston Martin CC100 Speedster Concept Car appeared first on 3D Car Shows.

Aston Martin is celebrating its centenary in world-class style with the debut today (19 May) of the exceptional CC100 Speedster Concept.

Created as a stunning celebration of the great British brand’s 100 years of sports car excellence the one-off CC100 looks both to the past and the DBR1 – Aston Martin’s greatest sporting triumph on the track – and to the future with its teasing glimpses of potential future design direction.

The 6.0-litre V12-powered concept car today makes its world debut by completing a lap of the famous Nordschleife at Germany’s ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring race. It is lapping the circuit together with the 1000km race-winning 1959 DBR1 with British racing legend Sir Stirling Moss at the wheel. It is the most tangible expression yet of the brand’s year-long 2013 centenary celebrations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxsw-eiHh2s

Viewed by tens of thousands of lucky spectators in Germany, the radical speedster is being driven today by Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. He said: “CC100 is the epitome of everything that is great about Aston Martin. It represents our fantastic sporting heritage, our exceptional design capability, our superb engineering know-how and, above all, our adventurous spirit!

“I have nicknamed it ‘DBR100’ because of its affinity to the great 1959 race-winning cars and, of course, our 100-year anniversary in 2013.

“But this car is more, even, than a simple ‘birthday present’ to ourselves: it shows that the soul of Aston Martin – the thing that differentiates us from all the other car makers out there – is as powerful as ever and I very much hope that everyone who catches a glimpse of it at the Nürburgring today enjoys seeing it.”

Designed and constructed in fewer than six months at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, working with key supplier Multimatic Inc, under the leadership of Special Projects and Motorsport Director David King, the finished look of the two-seater CC100 is the work of Design Director Marek Reichman working alongside the brand’s Chief Exterior Designer Miles Nurnberger.

Miles explained: “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.”

Marek Reichman said: “I’m extremely proud of the entire team at Gaydon for creating this remarkable sports car concept in such a short time.

“The need to create a truly fitting tribute to 100 years of the Aston Martin brand has brought out the creativity and talent that makes Aston Martin such an exceptional luxury sports car maker.”

Measuring almost four and a half metres nose to tail, and more than two metres wide (including mirrors) the Speedster Concept body is a classic example of the almost infinitely flexible nature of Aston Martin’s trademark Vertical Horizontal engineering philosophy.

With a body and interior crafted from carbon fibre, tooled and provided by low volume specialists Multimatic, the CC100 utilises the latest generation AM11 naturally aspirated V12 gasoline engine mated to a six-speed hydraulically actuated automated sequential manual transmission. Controlled via steering column-mounted paddle shifts the lightweight ‘box delivers truly sporting changes perfectly suited to the Speedster’s track-focused nature.

The drivetrain will power the CC100 from rest to 62 mph in a little over four seconds, while the top speed is limited to 180 mph.

Dr Bez added: “The future of Aston Martin is, very clearly, more exciting now than perhaps at any time in its history and I’m looking forward to seeing the excitement and anticipation that CC100 creates among Aston Martin owners and enthusiasts worldwide.”

The post ASTON MARTIN’S RADICAL CC100 SPEEDSTER CONCEPT BREAKS COVER appeared first on 3D Car Shows.

The blue and yellow Bilstein-liveried V12 Vantage GT3, run by Aston Martin Racing, performed faultlessly throughout six hours of the earlier two qualifying sessions to secure its spot in the top 40 shoot-out. Five-times N24-winner Pedro Lamy was then tasked with completing two flying laps in the dramatic new qualifying format and was the second car to be flagged away following a lottery draw for the starting order.

Seventh fastest after his first flying lap, Pedro improved his time by more than two seconds on his next lap to post a time of 8:18.362, good enough to secure a front row place.

Earlier in the day, Aston Martin also successfully qualified its unique Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S with all four drivers completing at least a lap on pure hydrogen.

The #005 close-to-production specification V12 Vantage had some bad luck with traffic on its qualifying lap and will start from an unrepresentative sixth in class having topped the class in Friday’s night qualifying.

David King, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin comments: “Given the strength of the competition here that’s a remarkable performance by the Aston Martin Racing team. What a great way to set us up for our centenary celebrations – the whole team is absolutely delighted.”

Pedro Lamy adds: “It was great that I could start from second position and get past the first place car in the warm up lap. I got two clear laps and the car was perfect, the set up allowed me to push hard and the team did a great job. I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

The 2013 Nürburgring 24 Hours starts at 17:00 CET on Sunday 19 May.

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Brands Hatch – Two weeks after the season opener at Hockenheim, the historic Brands Hatch track in Kent plays host to the DTM. Gary Paffett (EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), who is contesting his home race, will be starting from twelfth on the grid. The Englishman missed out by 36 thousandths on the third segment of qualifying after posting a lap time of 41.363 seconds. His Mercedes-Benz team-mate Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 41.440 seconds) starts from P14 in Sunday’s race.

Placed third in the season-opener at Hockenheim, Christian Vietoris (DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), finished the first qualifying session in P17 with a time of 41.709 seconds and missed moving into Q2 by 26 thousandths of a second. Roberto Merhi (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 41.748 seconds), Pascal Wehrlein (DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 41.783 seconds) and Daniel Juncadella (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 41.787 seconds) will start the second race of the season from positions 20 to 22 on the grid respectively. Less than one tenth of a second separated all four drivers from progressing to the second qualifying segment. The small distances between cars in the first qualifying session are a testament to the highly competitive nature of the DTM: A mere four tenths of a second covered all 22 drivers in Q1.

Looking ahead to the race: The second race of the DTM season gets under way (live on ARD television, beginning at 1:05pm) on Sunday, 1:30pm, at the historic Brands Hatch circuit. Martin Tomczyk (BMW / 41.158 seconds) starts from pole position. The race at the shortest track to feature on the DTM calendar covers 98 laps and a total distance of 189.042km. Gary Paffett won his home fixture last year at Brands Hatch from pole position.

Comments after Qualifying

Gary Paffett (32, England, EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

• 12th, (41.363 seconds)

„Qualifying was a big disappointment. I took pole position last season and went on to win the race – I would’ve liked to repeat that result this year. The balance of the car did not feel too bad, it was alright. I had no major understeer nor oversteer, but unfortunately, we were not fast enough. On this short circuit, three tenths of a second make a big difference. I extracted the maximum out of the car and was on the limit on every lap. Hopefully, by tomorrow we will have found even more speed in the car, and then we can have a clean and fair race in which I aim to secure as many points as possible.“

Robert Wickens (24, Canada, STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

• 14th, (41.440 seconds)

„It was really tight today; anything could have happened. I would obviously have liked to make it through to Q3, but unfortunately, my lap time wasn’t good enough. We need to investigate the reasons for that. We know that our race performance isn’t bad, and with the introduction of DRS and the new option tyres, it should still be possible to finish in the points tomorrow. Also there is the weather factor: if it starts to rain, that could completely reshuffle the pack and shake everything up.“

Christian Vietoris (24, Germany, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

• 17th, (41.709 seconds)

„My position on the grid for the second race of the season is a disappointment after achieving a podium in Hockenheim, for sure. The team did a great job and I don’t blame them – the car felt good. I missed going through into Q2 by only 26 thousandths of a second, so it was extremely close. Qualifying at Brands Hatch is always like trying to balance on a razor blade; you have to be out on track at the right time and cannot afford to make a single mistake on this short circuit. Qualifying is over and done with and cannot be rerun, so we’ll just have to make the best of things in the race. Of course, I hope to pick up at least a couple of points.“

Roberto Merhi (22, Spain, THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

• 20th, (41.748 seconds)

„That was a crazy session. We don’t know why we were lacking the speed to get us into Q2. Obviously, I would have wished for a better grid position for this second race of the season. There is hardly any difference in lap times on this short track, which means that even the slightest error is heavily punished. But the race isn’t lost yet. At Hockenheim, Dirk Werner finished on the podium after starting from 20th on the grid. I’ll be trying to achieve something similar tomorrow.“

Pascal Wehrlein (18, Germany, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

• 21st, (41.783 seconds)

„That was hugely disappointing. I tried my best to push, but I couldn’t go any faster. On a track like Brands Hatch, even the tiniest detail can make a big difference, and unless everything clicks into place, you won’t get a good starting position. Even so, I’m not giving up; a lot can happen in the race and I’ll be attacking right through to the finish.“

Daniel Juncadella (22, Spain, stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

• 22nd, (41.787 seconds)

„The track at Brands Hatch has its pitfalls; you have to position the car just right on the bumps to achieve the maximum. I didn’t manage to do that today. The car didn’t feel as good in the qualifying as it did in practice. We simply failed to get the best out of the tyres, and so I didn’t improve my time. Now tomorrow, I’ll just have to charge up the field from the rear. Hopefully, we’ll see one or two surprises in the race just like we did in Hockenheim two weeks ago.“

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

„Well, putting things in a nutshell, we had quite an unfortunate day and our performance in qualifying was definitely not good enough. On such a short track like Brands Hatch, drivers are normally very tightly bunched, and of course, one must always bear in mind the actual set up that was dialed in – and as we speak, Sunday’s weather forecast does not rule out rain – but that by no means fully excuses today’s poor performance. Now we will have to make the most of the situation and mount an all-out offensive on Sunday. Dirk Werner proved at the start of the season in Hockenheim that it is possible to go from 20th on the grid to finish on the podium. Saturday was not good enough, but that does not mean that we have completely given up hope for Sunday.“

The post Mercedes-Benz Motorsport DTM Racing appeared first on 3D Car Shows.

Less than a month after the announcement of Alpine’s return to motor racing, the revitalized Renault Group brand has released the name of its first racecar in more than three decades, the all-new “Alpine A450″. The French brand says it chose the name as a tribute to the Alpines which raced at Le Mans in the 1970s.

The Renault Alpine Racing Car Looks hot and it’s performance on the racetrack may just become legendary in the future of motor racing.Here are some images of the Renault Alpine Racing.

Images of the Renault Alpine Racing Car

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