The German Grand Prix

The tenth race of the formula 1 calendar was the home circuit of the Mercedes team. So they were very eager for a race win there in front of their home crowd. Qualifying saw a brake failure from Hamilton and a gearbox change meant that he ended up qualifying 20th. Nico Rosberg ended up qualifying in pole after a solid performance, with Bottas in second and Massa in third. 

The race itself was a high tense race from Lewis Hamilton, who made some spectacular overtakes. There was a lot of contact during the race which meant a lot of loss of bodywork, including Hamiltons front wing, and Raikkonnens front wing also. Rosberg led the race from start to finish to become the first German driver to win the German Grand Prix since post-war years. There was a major collision on the first corner, with Magnussen taking out Massa, continuing Massas unlucky streak. Bottas ended up finishing second, who was closely persued by Hamilton, who came from 20th to 3rd. The next race is in Hungary, with qualifying tomorrow. See you there

Nev

Below: Massa on his head

BMW i8: the future or just fantasy?

The car featured in this post is a car that has been long awaited in the car world, having been announced in 2009. BMW decided to join the recent hybrid-fest by attempting to create futuristic works of hybrid art. The two cars-the i3 and i8-were so outlandish that they weren't made in the normal factory. Instead BMW had to create a whole new division (i-division) in order to get the most imaginative results. And, believe it or not, the car you see below is the production i8, not the concept. The i8 that this post is about is the first supercar BMW since the M1 (odd name I know). It tries to rival the likes of the Porsche 911 while being way more efficient. So let's look at the facts.

Other than being very sleek to look at, the BMW i8 has the worlds first laser headlights, has very low drag, has a full-time electric motor powering the front wheels, with 131bhp, and can run for 21 miles in electric only mode and is 80% charged in 2 hours, meaning there isn't the 8 hour wait you get with full EV vehicles. It also has wing doors (probably more to please crowds than to increase aero), a carbon fibre body shell, and cost under a quarter of a Porsche 911's car tax. Powering the back wheels is a 231bhp, 1.5 litre turbo triple engine, meaning that in total we have 362bhp, plus 4WD. It also emits just 49g/kmCO2, and a claimed 134mpg, which is incredible for a car that competes with a Porsche 911 on performance, as well as price.

So, the BMW i8. A car that tries to save the supercar and make them sustainable. And even if you still prefer a screaming V8, you have to give this car credit for its noble quest which may mean that there are still super cars in 30 years time. Drive on.

Nev

The British Grand Prix

Race number 9 was the most anticipated race of the season as it was most of the teams home circuit: Silverstone. It was also the tracks 50th Grand Prix and there were lots of celebrations to mark the occasion, such as a display by the red arrows. But most important was obviously the race. The famous British weather meant that qualifying was very surprising because the track was rained on then dried in one sector right at the very end so the cars that lapped at the very end of Q3 put in very quick laps. Surprisingly, teams like Ferrari and Williams were caught out by the rain and did not make it past Q1. The top three were Rosberg, Vettel and Button, with Hamilton unable to take advantage of the dry last sector.

The race dawned dry, to the relief of the crowd. However, on the very first lap Raikonnen crashed and caught Massa, with the race being red flagged while the marshals repaired the barrier. When the race restarted, it was an eventful race, with Rosberg braking down due to a gearbox problem. Hamilton came from 6th to win with Bottas coming from 16th to second and Ricciardo coming in third. The next race is in a couple of weeks

Nev

Ariel Atom 3.5R

Recently there has been a big increase in the number of track-focused cars. These are being bought by people who want a car that is light and agile and can trouble a supercar around a circuit. There was the KTM X-bow, the BAC mono, and the Ariel Atom. This car came from a small startup company and was the best of them all because of its looks, agility and pace. The car this post is based on is the new, even more hardcore version of the basic Atom, which borrows tech, and some parts, from the limited run Atom V8. The engine is sadly not a V8 but a supercharged version of the normal Honda 2 litre engine. This gives the Atom more power and torque, and keeps the weight to a minimum. Indeed, the car still only weighs 550kg but wields 350bhp. This has some devastating effects on the performance figures. Power to weight ratio? 647bhp/tonne. This leads to acceleration figures of 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds. That's Veyron/Venom territory. 

 

There are also design additions to set it apart from the basic Atom, not least the front and rear wings. You can also option the side pods which contain a charge cooler and an oil cooler and also make it look beefier. The top speed is still relatively low, though, at 155mph. The acceleration figures are only due to the light weight. 

All this adrenalin comes at a price, though. Almost £65,000, in fact. For a car that does not even have a roof or windscreen. But the people who buy this won't care about that. What the want is a car that will submit the fastest lap at a track day and make them feel very satisfied about it.

Nev





 

Which country makes the best cars?

The very first thing I must mention is that the title isn't very accurate. This is because obviously it depends what you mean by best. For solid engineering the Germans obviously win hands down. Style and aesthetics? Italian cars are the best by far. Cheap but fizzy hatchbacks? France, in my opinion. Reliability? The japenese have always been good at that. Lots of power for not much money? America will be your first point of call. Cool but subtle luxury? Most people view Britain as the place for that.

This is what most people will hold as the fundamental beliefs about a countries car making abilities. However, it is definitely worth mentioning the obvious exceptions to this, which shows that a country can be good at more than just one aspect of the automotive spectrum. The American cars of old we're very good at the luxury thing, Britain used to be good at fizzy sports cars to. Actual car exceptions include the Poesche 911, more fun than solid. But, in general, the old stereotypes remain. An American car will always be scoffed at for being cheap, a Japenese car for being boring, likewise a German car, and Italian super cars will always be classed as unreliable. But, by playing their strengths, it has ensured that the automotive spectrum is incredibly diverse and exciting, no matter where you come from

Nev

 

The Canadian Grand Prix

The latest race in the formula one calendar took place in Canada a week ago today. And, as ever, there were a fair few surprises in store. Qualifying saw the Mercedes cars take one and two, with Rosberg managing to take pole ahead of Hamilton. The Williams cars did surprisingly well, qualifying 4th and 5th behind Sebastian Vettel who took 3rd.

The actual race turned out to be a race of attrition as temperatures were high. Both Marussia's retired on the very first race, a downturn after their first points last race. Both Caterhams also retired due to the heat, and both Lotuses retired also, Maldonado from an engine failure and Grosjean from rear wing damage. But most of the action came towards the end of the race. Both Mercedes cars reported engine problems at the same time, with Hamilton having to retire because of it. This left Rosberg limping round the track without his electric motor. The group behind him, consisting of Perez, Ricciardo, Vettel and Massa, caught him up but could not get passed because of defensive driving from Perez. Eventually Ricciardo overtook Perez and, on the third to last lap, overtook Rosberg too. On the second to last lap there was a very big crash between Perez and Massa, leading to them both being airlifted to hospital and Perez consequently being issued with a 5 place grid penalty for causing a collision . This has lead to a lot of arguing between force India and Williams, both blaming each other for the crash. At the end of the race Ricciardo took his very first race win, with Rosberg limping in at second and Vettel getting a podium in third. Jensen Button took a surprising fourth, with the two Ferrari's struggling in 6th and 10th. The next race in in a weeks time in Austria.

Nev

Below: Perez and Massa crash on the penultimate lap

Laferrari

So, the final contender for the title of best hypercar has arrived. After keeping it under wraps for so long, it has finally been revealed. With a fire-breathing V12 mated to a silent electric motor. This car is significantly better than the Enzo of before, being lighter, more ridged and more spacious inside (even though the roofline is lower. What sorcery is this?),and with a lower centre of mass. The Laferrari encompasses the electric motor to fill in gaps in the V12's torque, rather than to create an all-electric mode as in the Maclaren P1. However, to say that it does not improve efficiency is wrong. On the contrary, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by 50% than if the car didn't use the motor. 

The Laferrari uses a lot of formula one-style technology in its construction. The use of different composite tyres and the use of regenerative braking both help it to be more extreme on the road or track. Despite this the Laferrari weighs just 1255kg, which is amazing when you realise that it is a hybrid. The combined horsepower of this machine is 950bhp, but it will cost you £1million pounds for the privilege. However, if it is any consolation you do get your name engraved on the steering wheel if you did buy it. Which you can't as they are all sold out. And you have to meet some very strict regulations if you wanted to buy one. Regulations no ordinary mortal could meet. Oh we'll, I just hope I get to see one in real life. I'm easy to please.

Nev

So, which one would you have? 918, P1 or Laferrari? Verdicts would be appreciated In the comments box and I will make sure I reply. Let the arguing commence.