KRIS MEEKE AND PAUL NAGLE HEAD BACK TO SANREMO WHERE THEY SECURED THEIR 2009 IRC TITLE

The glamorous Italian Riviera town of Sanremo will become the venue for the last tarmac rally of this year’s 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

It was twelve months ago that the twisty and testing mountain roads of Sanremo provided the stage for Peugeot UK’s Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle to secure the 2009 IRC Drivers’ Championship. This year, with a mathematical chance of retaining the title, Kris and Paul will be back with one aim only, to repeat last year’s victory.

With no fewer than 32 S2000 cars entered into the rally the competition will be fierce. Contained in the entry are also all the past winners since 2004 as well as a number of local specialists.

The Sanremo rally will also see five of the latest Peugeot 207 S2000 Evolutions go head-to-head with the revised Skoda Fabria S2000, introduced earlier in the year. The 207 Evolution model benefits from a number of performance enhancements including a new 300 bhp engine, new front suspension, optimised gearbox and transmission, upgraded brakes and suspension dampers. These modifications will ensure the Peugeot 207 S2000 remains the reference vehicle for the category.

The rally will be contested over eleven special stages with a total distance of 220.03 kilometres, including the 44 km Ronde stage in the dark on Friday night. Careful management of tyres and brakes will be vital for success in this year’s rally and the “Evolution” revisions to the Peugeot 207 S2000 will give the Peugeot drivers an added advantage.
Source:Peugeot

New! Kris Meeke – Intercontinental Rally Challenge Champion
By Simon McBride

The story of how Kris Meeke and Peugeot UK won the Intercontinental Rally Championship in their rookie year, from the disastrous opening round in Monte Carlo, to the ecstasy of winning the Sanremo rally and the Championship in the same weekend. More info.

THE 356 LEGEND CONTINUES: THE NEW PORSCHE 911 SPEEDSTER

Open-roof, two-seater 911 recreates the spirit of the classic Porsche 356 Speedster


The Speedster name is one of the most evocative in the history of Porsche1. First used on the classic 356 model of 1953, the Speedster quickly became synonymous with low-slung, open-top, two-seater Porsche sports cars that attracted free-spirited driving enthusiasts seeking the ultimate ‘wind in the hair’ experience. Now, in celebration of the Speedster legend, Porsche is introducing a new 911 Speedster at the Paris Salon on October 2, and to commemorate its famous ‘50s forebear, the production run is limited to just 356 examples.
Source: Porsche

Forthcoming!
The Book of the Porsche 911
By Brian Long.
Special edition only 911 copies available direct from Veloce.

This detailed and beautifully illustrated book covers the evergreen Porsche 911 series, which is still in in production today. Written by a highly regarded motoring writer, with many years’ ownership of the type in question, this is without doubt the definitive study of the subject. All major markets are looked at, along with competition history and extensive appendices covering engine specifications from 1963, chassis numbers, build numbers, and so on. More info.

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS: ELECTRIC CARS ROUND-UP

Lots of electric car stories in the motoring news this week ...



PLUG-IN CAR GRANT ENCOURAGES SAFER VEHICLES



RoadSafe supports the stringent standards set for the Plug-In Car Grant, which will offer motorists up to £5000 to buy qualifying electric, plug-in or hydrogen fuelled cars.

To be eligible, cars must be crash tested and meet the same safety standards as regular internal combustion vehicles. Many of these already have higher safety standards than the tests require. They will also have to meet minimum range and performance criteria.



RoadSafe director Adrian Walsh said, "It is quite right that plug-ins meet the same safety criteria as other cars. We fully support this government initiative, which encourages so much innovation, led by the auto industry, to create safer, greener cars."



The safety standards will set electric cars apart from quadricycles, which only have to meet the same standards as three wheeled motorbikes. Government hopes the incentive will bring the ideal of mass-market electric vehicles closer to reality.

Source: Roadsafe



GOVERNMENT PLEDGES £24 MILLION ELECTRIC CAR INVESTMENT



The Government is to invest £24 million in developing electric vehicles has been welcomed by Friends of the Earth, but the campaigning charity warned that more must be done to cut the transport sector's massive contribution to climate change.

Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond has pledged the cash to fund the development of new engines, technology and infrastructure that will eventually enable more motorists to use electric vehicles.



Mr Hammond said today that he wants the current Government to be 'the greenest ever', and hopes the investment will both reduce the carbon emissions from car travel and provide a timely boost to this growth industry.



Friends of the Earth Transport Campaigner Richard Dyer said:



"Electric cars can help reduce carbon emissions from transport and Government support for this new industry is welcome - however, these vehicles won't do enough on their own to cut transport's contribution to climate change.



"Furthermore, electric cars are only as green as the power they use.



Ministers must ensure that more of our electricity comes from renewable sources.



"The Government must rapidly cut carbon emissions from transport if it is to be the greenest Government ever.



"More than half of all car journeys are under five miles - the Government must support councils to introduce local schemes that will encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport for these short journeys.



"Bold policies are urgently needed to tackle these emissions."

Source: Friends of the Earth



ELECTRIC DREAMS MOVE A STEP CLOSER TO REALITY



Mass market electric cars moved a step closer today as Transport Secretary Philip Hammond awarded £24 million to further develop the UK's low carbon vehicle capability.

The six winning projects - which together with contributions from business will receive total funding of £52m - are part of the latest Technology Strategy Board competition. Projects include the development of new engines for plug-in hybrid versions of Nissan, Lotus and Jaguar Land Rover cars, a lightweight electric bin wagon, development of lightweight materials for vehicle weight reduction, and new technologies using thermal energy to improve vehicle performance.



The Government also set out the eligibility criteria for its Plug-in Car Grant. Under the scheme motorists will receive a grant of up to £5,000 to purchase electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuelled cars. In order to be eligible, cars must meet appropriate safety standards and must have been crash tested. They must also meet minimum range and performance criteria.



The Government believes that this combined support will place the UK at the forefront of low carbon automotive development and provide a vital economic boost for the UK economy by giving us a key competitive advantage in this increasingly important global market.

Source: Department for Transport



New! The first publication to be produced on behalf of the RAC by Veloce Publishing.

Electric Cars – The Future is Now!

By Arvid Linde



All you really need to know about electric cars!



More info about the book.

VELOCE AT GOODWOOD REVIVAL 2010

So another great Goodwood Revival Meeting draws to a close. This year we were very fortunate to grab some interviews with some legendary drivers.

We talked to Sir Stirling Moss OBE about forthcoming Veloce book Harnessing Horsepower – The Pat Moss Carlsson story.

Also recorded a video interview with Sir Jackie Stewart OBE about Veloce book Tales from the Toolbox – A collection of behind-the-scenes tales from Grand Prix mechanics which he provided the foreword for.

We also interviewed Desiré Wilson. Desiré became the only woman to win an F1 race of any kind when she won at Brands Hatch in the short-lived British Aurora F1 series in 1980.

Just about to go out on track, Desiré is pictured here signing a copy of Veloce book Fast Ladies – female racing drivers 1888 to 1970.

Chas Parker, author of Veloce book Endurance Racing at Silverstone in the 1970s & 1980s presents Jochen Mass with a copy at the Revival where he was racing. Mass is associated with long distance races at Silverstone over the years and features in the book.

THE LITTLE BOOK OF MICROCARS

A new blog header picture today, this time from our newly published book, the little book of microcars, the smallest book in the Veloce catalogue along with the little book of smart. This great photos shows a line-up of colourful Peels standing smartly to attention.

During the middle of the twentieth century, a plethora of small economy cars – often quirky and bizarre – emerged to meet the needs of the cash-strapped motorist. At just 14cm sq, this book charts the history and development of these microcars, from the lean period after the Second World War right up to the present day.

Available now, priced just £4.99.

ELECTRIC DREAMS MOVE A STEP CLOSER TO REALITY

Mass market electric cars moved a step closer today as Transport Secretary Philip Hammond awarded £24 million to further develop the UK's low carbon vehicle capability. The six winning projects - which together with contributions from business will receive total funding of £52m - are part of the latest Technology Strategy Board competition. Projects include the development of new engines for plug-in hybrid versions of Nissan, Lotus and Jaguar Land Rover cars, a lightweight electric bin wagon, development of lightweight materials for vehicle weight reduction, and new technologies using thermal energy to improve vehicle performance.

The Government also set out the eligibility criteria for its Plug-in Car Grant. Under the scheme motorists will receive a grant of up to £5,000 to purchase electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuelled cars. In order to be eligible, cars must meet appropriate safety standards and must have been crash tested. They must also meet minimum range and performance criteria.

The Government believes that this combined support will place the UK at the forefront of low carbon automotive development and provide a vital economic boost for the UK economy by giving us a key competitive advantage in this increasingly important global market.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said:

"I am determined to make this Government the greenest ever and transport will have a key role to play. But this will not be achieved by forcing people off the road - it's not the car that's the problem, it's the carbon.

"While I am convinced that rail will be the future of long distance inter-urban journeys, we can't ignore the fact that 84% of journeys are made by car and there is no realistic prospect of displacing the private car for point to point complex journeys.

"However, we are on the brink of a technological revolution that will transform the way we see motoring in the 21st century allowing the benefits that the private car delivers without destroying the planet in the process."

In line with the Coalition Agreement commitment to mandate a national recharging network, guidance has also been released to the 15 places interested in bidding for the second round of the Plugged-In-Places infrastructure programme. This sets out in more detail what we want from these projects to support our decision-making on a national recharging network.

Business Minister Mark Prisk said:

"The winning consortia are all exciting examples of the breadth and depth of the UK's technical capabilities in low carbon vehicles.

"Collaboration between UK-based vehicle manufacturers, supply chain companies and academia will help Britain become one of the leading centres for the design, development and manufacture of ultra-low carbon vehicles.

"All of these projects had to demonstrate a credible route to market. This is about real business opportunities and high-tech jobs being created from the move to a low carbon economy."

Electric Cars –The Future is Now!, priced £12.99, is available to buy now direct from Veloce.

BOOK OF THE MONTH IN SEPTEMBER C&SC

Brand new Veloce book Northeast American Sports Car Races 1950-1959 by Terry O'Neil is BOOK OF THE MONTH in the latest Classic & Sports Car magazine!

Click image to view full size

Click here for more info about the book.

GOODWOOD CONFIRMS OVER 65 STAR DRIVERS AND RIDERS COMPETING AT THE 2010 REVIVAL

Well-known faces from most motor sport disciplines will be in action at this year’s Goodwood Revival, including Formula One stars, rally winners, endurance racing champions, tin top tearaways and top bikers; often competing in the most unlikely of machines.

As an example, current Renault Formula One driver Vitaly Petrov will be racing an ex-KGB GAZ Volga M21 from 1958, and ex-F1 star and ten-time Grand Prix winner Gerhard Berger will be riding a motorcycle in the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy, as well as campaigning a lightweight Jaguar E-Type in the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration race.

Other ex-Grand Prix stars driving wheel-to-wheel at Goodwood will include popular F1 TV presenter Martin Brundle (driving a Ferrari 250 GTO and Austin A35 – two cars which epitomise the glorious variety of machines competing at the Revival), veteran F1 driver Jackie Oliver (Jaguar E-Type and Ford Anglia 100E), and the only female driver ever to win an F1 race – Desire Wilson (Jaguar E-Type, Austin A40 and unique Formula Junior Nota).

Endurance and touring car stars competing are set to include Emanuele Pirro, Derek Bell, Vern Schuppan, Jim Richards, John Cleland, and eight-time Le Mans winner and Revival first-timer Tom Kristensen, whilst Scandinavian rally legends Rauno Aaltonen and James Haugland are sure to entertain the Revival spectators.

Motorcycling heroes will include Revival regular Wayne Gardner, TT-winners Stuart Graham, Charlie Williams and Ian Simpson, and former MotoGP rider Jeremy McWilliams. Goodwood stalwarts Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart, Jochen Mass, Brian Redman and Barry ‘Whizzo’ Williams will also be in attendance, with a special tribute being paid to John Surtees, who remains the only World Champion on two and four wheels.

Source: Goodwood

TOP GEAR'S STIG REVEALED AS BEN COLLINS

The BBC has lost a legal fight to stop publication of a book which reveals the identity of Top Gear's driver The Stig.


The High Court in London refused to grant the BBC an injunction blocking the publication by HarperCollins of an autobiography of former Formula Three driver Ben Collins.

The book, called The Man In The White Suit, claims Mr Collins is the mystery driver on the BBC Two show.

The Stig is famous for his racing overalls and dark-visored helmet. His identity has long been a closely-guarded secret on Top Gear - one of the BBC's most popular shows in the UK and around the world.

Last week, HarperCollins said it would "vigorously defend" its right to publish the book, adding it was "disappointed that the BBC has chosen to spend licence fee payers' money to suppress this book".

However Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman attacked the publisher, writing on the Top Gear website that the BBC had a right to protect Stig's anonymity "from a bunch of chancers" who were "hoping to cash in on it".

Source: BBC

SECRETS OF SPEED REVIEWED

Thanks again to Dejan Jovanovic for his latest review of Secrets of Speed - Today’s techniques for 4-stroke engine blueprinting & tuning by Nick Swager. The review appeared in Gulf News (27 08 10).



Click here for more info about the book.